I have sometimes thought that somebody should write an article about the Man of Law in The Canterbury Tales, and in particular what his character, and his tale, suggests about certain...perennial issues in legal ethics. Rob? Here is the description of the lawyer in the Prologue (in modern English):
A sergeant of the law, wary and wise,
Who’d often gone to Paul’s walk to advise,
There was also, compact of excellence.
Discreet he was, and of great reverence;
At least he seemed so, his words were so wise.
Often he sat as justice in assize,
By patent or commission from the crown;
Because of learning and his high renown,
He took large fees and many robes could own.
So great a purchaser was never known.
All was fee simple to him, in effect,
Wherefore his claims could never be suspect.
Nowhere a man so busy of his class,
And yet he seemed much busier than he was.
All cases and all judgments could he cite
That from King William’s time were apposite.
And he could draw a contract so explicit
Not any man could fault therefrom elicit;
And every statute he’d verbatim quote.
He rode but badly in a medley coat,
Belted in a silken sash, with little bars,
But of his dress no more particulars.
I have learned from the great people at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty that the organization's founder -- who has been a friend and mentor to me for many years -- Kevin "Seamus" Hasson is stepping down from the post. Hasson's work and contributions have been invaluable, and his character and good spirit have been inspiring. Here's a bit from the press release:
Since founding the Becket Fund in 1994, Hasson has steadily grown the organization into the preeminent religious liberty law firm, the only one of its kind in the world that defends people of all faith. The Becket Fund has litigated in nearly every state in the country and has defended religious freedom in other venues, from Mexico City to Jakarta, from the halls of the European Court of Human Rights to the streets of Orissa, India. Hasson has also earned broad credibility in the national media, having been quoted in outlets ranging from The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal and appearing on news programs ranging from Dateline NBC to Al-Jazeera.
Hasson is the author of The Right to be Wrong: Ending the Culture War over Religion in America. He has lectured and debated frequently, in venues ranging from BYU and Notre Dame to Harvard, from Oxford to the Vatican. His contributions to academic discourse on religious freedom, as well as his implementation of the principles set forth in Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, will be acknowledged later this week with an honorary doctorate in humane letters bestowed by the Catholic University of America.
Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and a member of the board of the Becket Fund, praised Hasson’s “inspiring witness and leadership in defense of religious freedom.” George said of Hasson that “no one fights more valiantly, more resourcefully, or more effectively for the rights of persons of every faith to honor their religious obligations as their consciences require.”
Hasson’s successor as CEO, William P. Mumma, has had a distinguished career in leadership. With degrees from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Columbia University, Mumma ran the global derivative business for Bankers Trust Company. Following this he was an Executive Managing Director at Nomura Securities International and since 2008 is the President and CEO of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities USA. He is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Georgetown University’s Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy.
Of his new position, Mumma said, “Thanks to Seamus, the Becket Fund has seen sixteen remarkable years defending religious freedom globally. The firm has won several landmark victories for the cause, among them protecting the Pledge of Allegiance. At the same time, threats to religious freedom have never been greater. I am humbled by the challenges that lie before us but confident that our team of first rate lawyers will continue its remarkable 85% success rate in litigation.”
Based in Washington, D.C., The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a non-profit, public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions. The Becket Fund has a 15-year history of defending religious liberty for people of all faiths. Its clients have included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, and others. Its attorneys are recognized as experts in the field of church-state law.
Here is an SSRN essay of mine, reviewing Hasson's "The Right to Be Wrong."
Well done, and thank you, Seamus!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I have posted a considerably revised version of my recent paper, "The Individual Mandate, Sovereignty, and Ends of Good Government: A Reply to Professor Randy Barnett," which is forthcoming in the University of Pennslyvania Law Review. The paper does not attempt to determine whether the individual mandate is a prudent piece of legislation under the current circumstances. Instead, it tries, among other things, to show why the libertarian arguments against the mandate are inconsistent with a Catholic account of the principles of law and government. These include -- without running afoul of the principle of subsidiarity (properly understood) -- leading the people to particular goods, which can, in turn, be referred to a common good. Law is always ordered to a common good: "Operations are indeed in particulars. But those particulars can be referred to a common good, [which is common] not with the community of a species or genus, but with the community of a final cause, according to which a common good is called a common end." ST I-II 90.2 ad 2
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The text is here. He ended with this:
“I began here by reflecting on my blessings, on all the things for which I’m thankful. But you may have noticed something about my list. The good things in life aren’t things. They are people. They are values. They are our birthrights.
“For when it’s all said and done, we are but mere mortals doing God’s work here on Earth. Put a better way – no, put the best way: remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Comments are open. Be good.
