Tradition Preservation
I watched one of our new lawyers get sworn in on Friday. It was a very informal ceremony – none of the usual Supreme Court pomp and circumstance, which was great because it meant we got to the most interesting part a lot quicker: namely, signing in the registry of all the lawyers ever called to the Bar in the territory.
What is so interesting about the registry is the length of time it has been preserved. It dates all the way back to the 1890′s! The signatures of the very first lawyer then to the most recent lawyer now are all logged in the same book. It is nothing short of amazing. The book is so old that it cannot be handled unless a pair of white gloves are donned – this is to prevent the acid on anyone’s fingers from disintegrating the pages.
When it came time for the new lawyer to sign the registry, we all naturally crowded behind her to get a glimpse of the long list of signatures, proudly and prominently displayed on the age-worn pages that have been written on by the hands of lawyers in the past and present. You could practically smell the history emanating from the ancient volume. It is definitely a well-kept tradition and it is this very moment that I sometimes almost fancy becoming a lawyer myself.
I think we all crave tradition. It gives us a sense of belonging that allows us to dip into the collective consciousness of our peers and embrace the community it represents. After all, we humans thrive best when we genuinely feel that we are part of a greater whole and traditions play an extremely important role in conveying that feeling.
