The Lawyer's Oath: Both Ancient and Modern
All lawyers take an oath upon their admission to the bar. The oath is literally a rite of passage that marks the transition from student to practitioner of law. This article examines the historical and modern lawyer oaths. Part I tracks the evolution of lawyer oaths in Europe from antiquity to the n...
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| Published in: | The Georgetown journal of legal ethics Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 3 |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington
Georgetown University Law Center
01-01-2009
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | All lawyers take an oath upon their admission to the bar. The oath is literally a rite of passage that marks the transition from student to practitioner of law. This article examines the historical and modern lawyer oaths. Part I tracks the evolution of lawyer oaths in Europe from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Part II examines lawyer oaths as they evolved in the US before the twentieth century. Part III looks in relative detail at the ABA's 1908 model oath. Part IV concludes with a survey and critique of modern lawyer oaths. The oath always has served as a basis for ethical guidance and regulation. In today's regulatory state, in which lawyers have scores of specific rules and statutes governing their conduct, the oath no longer is the focal point of ethical regulation and debate. The oath can and should inspire lawyers as to both their essential ethical duties and their higher calling in their centuries-old profession. |
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| ISSN: | 1041-5548 |