Comments on Professionalism

Authors

John M. Walker Jr.Follow

Publication Date

1-1-1999

Introduction

We have all talked about professionalism. We've talked about the importance of it, the disconnects that Dean Powell brought up, the theories that Professor Mashburn referred to, and finally, the analysis articulated by Dean Kronman. What I would like to say is that I think we need to make the transition from a theory of professionalism into how to teach professionalism.

The law schools have a challenge. They have a tremendous challenge because professionalism is not something that is just going to emerge by itself. The sense of professionalism, the sense of being a professional lawyer, is not going to emerge out of thin air. It's got to be thought about. It's got to be taught. It's got to be built into the life of the law student and, after law school, into the life of the lawyer. But teaching professionalism at law school is very important. These are the lawyer's formative years, the years of first impressions.

Recommended Citation

Walker, John M. Jr. (1999) "Comments on Professionalism," Journal of the Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics: Vol. 2, Article 11.
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/jisle/vol2/iss1/11