The Oath

I sat there, nervously, like some first year law student, waiting to be called on by the professor. Thumbing through my materials, they consisted mostly of hypotheticals. Were my anxieties to be realized? A technician set up sound equipment behind me, testing two wirless mikes. "They really are going to call on me," I thought. Second thoughts continued to crowd my mind like some throng pressing in on me at a rock concert.

Where was I? A South Carolina Continuing Legal Education class to retake the oath to practice law in South Carolina. Yes, I do have a license to practice. No, I don't...I'm inactive by choice. That's fodder for another discussion. But I'm still required to update my comittment to the principles of the profession. Yesterday, I did so with Judge Ralph King Anderson Jr. presiding. It actually was quite a moment, taking me back 13 years ago when I first took the oath. And reminding me that I love what I do now, managing a computer network.

The newly revised oath expands the professional obligations to clients, the court and fellow attorneys. I think it's a good thing. We probably could have spent a whole day on the hypotheticals, but I'm glad they saw the wisdom in the way they did do this update to the oath.