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Challenges and Opportunities (From the President)
By Jim E. Lavine
My name is Jim Lavine. I am a criminal defense lawyer and proud of it. I
am equally proud to share this calling with each of you, for you are my
colleagues in this noble profession and in our shared devotion to
NACDL. And make no mistake about it. The role of the defense lawyer is a
calling.
We are ministers of justice who stand with the individual when the full
might of the government crashes down. We dare to challenge the unlawful
and abusive exercise of power. Day in and day out, we struggle to
extract some measure of humanity from an inhumane system. In a society
that values the rule of law, but sometimes goes astray, we are the true
law enforcement agents. The criminal defense lawyers of the world bear
witness to the tears of fear and frustration of the unjustly accused. We
suffer the sad and lonely lament of those gentle souls sealed in a cell
for the universal crime of human imperfection.
Where will you find crusaders for justice? The same place you w
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