Chaplon, Kate The Storm
In this story the writer is trying to express fear, lust and contentiment.It has been my privilege to serve our state as a superior court judge since November 2001. I have particularly enjoyed presiding over cases in Mecklenburg County. We are blessed with a top-flight bar whose members provide outstanding service to their clients and the community. My transition from private practice to the bench has been relatively seamless, in large part because of the quality of the bar. As a lawyer, I assumed that the trial judge was omniscient about the cases pending before him. I now understand just how much we depend on counsel to aid the Court. Fortunately, the lawyers who appear before me are, almost universally, a dedicated and talented group. Regrettably, however, some lawyers have lost sight of what it means to be a professional. I address the remainder of my comments to them. My goal is not to criticize, but to stir you to examine your conscience and reaffirm your commitment to the professional practice of law. So what does it mean to be a professional? First, a professional is on time. When a professional has matters before the Court, he does not force opposing counsel or the court staff to scour the courthouse looking for him. For the professional, tardiness is the exception and not the rule—he adequately manages his time to avoid conflicts.