There have been some great orators over the millenia. I am not one.
Billy Shakespeare perceived Marc Antony in that category:
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
Without a doubt, Ronald Reagan was in that category
"Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
There are calls to arms, and there are calls to arms. Hannibal told his troops "you must conquer or die." Napolean Bonaparte's entreaty was "March, then, to meet him. Tear from his brows the laurels he has won." Abraham Lincoln said "The nation is worth fighting for, to secure such an inestimable jewel." John Kennedy brought "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
I am no rival for any of these. I cannot measure up to any such orator.
But their words are inspiring and they ring true today. We stand in 2023 on the verge of a great torch-passing. The age of the Boomers is fading. We shall "diminish, and go into the west, and remain" boomers. (Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien, 1954).
But who will follow? Walt Kelly, a cartoonist of note coined "We have met the enemy and they are us." That was famous and oft-quoted. But it was an adaptation of "Oliver Hazard Perry's words after a naval battle: 'We have met the enemy, and they are ours.'” That is the more pertinent in today's context. Who will follow? "they are ours." Who will follow is reasonably known. They are all around us striving to be lawyers and to adapt to our odd and challenging world. How they will follow is largely up to us.
I have been critical of those who would discount today's youth. See These Kids Today (July 2023); Positioning Comp (April 2023). We are in need of leadership and participation in the path of preparing today's rising stars for the challenges of their tomorrows. See, when you get to be old like me your own tomorrows are not so important anymore, nor so likely perhaps. Someone once said "when you are young you hope to wake up in the morning rested; when you are old, you just hope to wake up."
In recognition of those rising stars, various organizations are identifying and supporting the leaders of tomorrow. The Florida Bar News in July noted two excellent examples. The first is recognition of the 2023-2034 (sic) Leadership Class. The Florida Bar is finding aspiring leaders, nurturing them, educating them, and recognizing them. That is a great effort, worthy of praise.
The second is more important, however. The Florida Bar has deployed a mentorship program. It is called "Counsel-to-Counsel" and seeks to build bridges between the chronologically overachieved (us old folks) and those rising stars that embody our hopes for tomorrow and beyond. More important? That may seem impertinent. But at the end of the day, that Leadership Academy Class offers a tremendous opportunity to a very select few. The mentorship program offers one-on-one to a far larger population. In fact, if enough of the yesterdays sign up, each tomorrow could have a mentor.
Let's put it another way. How can you personally impact the success of future bar leaders engaged in the William Smith Reece, Jr. Leadership Class? Well, I doubt you can. How can you personally impact the success of rising star lawyers? That is easy, just sign up and participate in the Counsel-to-Counsel. Without a doubt, you have something worth sharing.
Maybe you have technical knowledge. There is a good chance you have practical knowledge. Perhaps you are skilled in the challenges of practice, conflict, and resolution? Have you ever had to work through a difficult ethical situation? Once upon a time, did you have a difficult client, obsequious judge, or frustrating opponent?
Whatever your experience and path, in some way you each possess some of the "been there, done that." A great many of you even got the T-shirt. If nothing else, you would bring value in a simple willingness to listen to some rising star lawyer explain her/his dilemma, challenge, or predicament. In the course of your career, did you ever wish you could just open up to someone and be listened to?
I am not suggesting that you can change the world. You cannot. You are too old, too weary, and too jaded (maybe). But, you can without a doubt be there for the next generation. You can be that ear, be that anchor, be that resource for those who will take the torch and lead tomorrow. What greater opportunity might you ask for? Read about Counsel-to-Counsel.
You need not be Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy, or Marc Antony. You need not be a great orator or leader. You need only be you. I had a chance recently to assuage a rising star by reminding that I make many mistakes each day. I saw relief in the star's eyes upon hearing that perfection is not only unachievable but unbelievable. In my commiseration and empathy, the star perhaps found solace?
Consider being more than you are, and making tomorrow bright through mentoring the fine folks following in your path. I have met them, and they are literally ours. The details on registering are in the article. Do something good today. Don't wait for the call. Don't question your skill or worth. Sign up and contribute to a better tomorrow for us all.