A Note from NCADA President, Allen Smith
I can think of reasons to love purple: football (think Minnesota Vikings, ECU Pirates, and TCU Horned Frogs), music (Jimi Hendrix’s classic, “Purple Haze,” and the band Deep Purple), Easter, lollipops, rainbows, Crayola Crayons, Rockies, and leisure suits. I probably lost you with the leisure suits, as purple ones were particularly ugly.
BUT purple is not a good color for a state during election years. Sure, we North Carolinians get lots of attention, but we get too much attention. About the only good thing about COVID-19 has been no national political convention in my hometown of Charlotte, USA. One is enough, if not too many, for a lifetime.
We the people who live in the purple states like North Carolina get force fed the commercials and commercials and commercials and still even more commercials for the race for president. If one candidate wins, the country will fall apart at its seams. If another candidate wins, the country will experience its greatest moments in history. If the other candidate wins, riots and looting will never end. If one candidate wins, the country will be safe. Or at least all the TV commercials have said so - and I have seen plenty by both sides. Many have been back to back! As of the day I write this, we will get pummeled with commercials for another six weeks. And with the talking heads on TV predicting days to count all the votes, the commercials may continue past election day--or new types of commercials will appear.
How does my rant about seeing way, way too many ads for the presidential election apply to the practice of law? You learn what not to do. Do not call your opponent names. That may work (or it may not) in a political race, but it will come back to bite you in the practice of law. Do not denigrate the other side; show the opposing counsel and party respect in person. You do not have to be friends, but you have to work together to get through the litigation process. Do not mislead the court. When you are before the court, have facts and law to support your arguments. Only promise jurors or the court what you can deliver. Politicians lose credibility and win all the time. If a lawyer loses credibility with jurors, the lawyer is likely to lose the case. If a lawyer loses credibility with the court, the lawyer hurts the current client and possibly future clients.
I conclude by urging you to vote. The members of our organization have a wide array of opinions and political beliefs. However, I think that everyone agrees on the importance of casting a vote.
