State Law

Connecticut Attorneys? Oath?.Remember It?

By Ryan

I just finished reading an excellent article in the ABA’s Litigation publication about the legal profession and oaths by Joseph A. Greenway, Jr., U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey.

Judge Greenway challenges readers to make recite the oath he or she took upon becoming an attorney.

Proving Judge Greenway’s point, I couldn’t do remember a word of my oath. While I’ve given a lot of thought to legal ethics, the role of an attorney in society, and the general idea of justice - I haven’t thought about the oath I took since I took it.

Here’s the oath taken by Connecticut attorneys upon entering the profession:

You solemnly swear or solemnly and sincerely affirm, as the case may be, that you will do nothing dishonest, and will not knowingly allow anything dishonest to be done in court, and that you will inform the court of any dishonesty of which you have knowledge; that you will not knowingly maintain or assist in maintaining any cause of action that is false or unlawful; that you will not obstruct any cause of action for personal gain or malice; but that you will exercise the office of attorney, in any court in which you may practice, according to the best of your learning and judgment, faithfully, to both your client and the court; so help you God or upon penalty of perjury.  Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 1-25.

For Connecticut attorney’s, prior to stumbling upon this post, when was the last time you thought about or read your oath?

Full post as published by A Connecticut Law Blog on December 08, 2008 (boomark / email).