The Significant Lawyer: The Pursuit of Purpose and Professionalism

Judge Duffey's book, "The Significant Lawyer," explores the changes in the legal profession since the mid-1980s, where lawyers prioritized profits over integrity, efficiency, and client relationships, leading to professional unfulfillment and a skyrocketing suicide rate. He argues that lawyers can rediscover fulfillment and significance by aligning themselves with the shared values of their profession and adopting the right priorities, treating clients with integrity, competence, and compassion.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 30 June 2023
Publisher: Mercer University Press

Judge Duffey, a highly experienced and respected legal professional with over forty years of practice, including fourteen years on the federal bench, has developed a profound fascination with the culture and complexities within the legal profession. This fascination has led to the publication of his book, The Significant Lawyer: A Call to Reclaim the Soul of the Legal Profession.

In the mid-1980s, a significant shift occurred in the legal profession, as lawyers began to measure their success solely by the profits they and their firms generated. Law became a business, rather than a profession, and integrity, efficiency, and strong client relationships began to erode. Lawyers found themselves professionally unfulfilled, and the suicide rate for lawyers skyrocketed. They forgot about the oaths they took upon admission to practice, which require civility, commitment to justice, fair play, and respect for the courts.

Today, the practice of law would look vastly different if lawyers aligned themselves with the shared values of their profession and with their own values and priorities. Clients would be treated differently, colleague relationships would be strong, productive, and respectful. However, achieving this kind of alignment is not an easy task. It requires commitment and resolve for a lawyer to live by the oaths taken when admitted to practice and to adopt the right priorities.

Choosing this path, an attorney embraces the practice of law as a profession and commits to serve others with integrity, competence, and compassion. The outcome is a lawyer who discovers fulfillment and significance in the practice of their profession, and the profession is better for it.

Judge Duffey's book offers a powerful message that resonates with lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining our integrity, striving for excellence, and building strong relationships with our clients and colleagues. It encourages us to remember the oaths we took upon admission to practice and to embrace the practice of law as a profession, not just a business.

In conclusion, The Significant Lawyer is a must-read for anyone who wants to reclaim the soul of the legal profession and build a more fulfilling and meaningful career. Judge Duffey's experiences and insights provide a valuable roadmap for lawyers seeking to align themselves with the shared values of their profession and to make a positive impact on the world.

ISBN-13: 9780881468205