Elder Dallin H. Oaks on Religious Freedom

I came across this speech today. Here is one of my favorite excerpts.

"We must not be deterred or coerced into silence by the kinds of intimidation I have described. We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice. "

More info may be found at: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/apostle-says-religious-freedom-is-being-threatened

JRCLS Dinner and Fireside

So, I went to the J. Reuben Clark Law Society dinner and fireside tonight.  Last year was my first time.  It was fun to actually be a law student this time around.  The catered food was decent.  I sat at a table with Aaron M., a UVA alum who is clerking for a DC Circuit Ct.  Also there were Levi and Bonnie and their son Clark.  Levi's a 3L at GW who is looking for public service work for the next year.  His firm will still give him an office and pay him half salary.  Across the way was Troy and Debra W.  Debra's a 3L at GMU who will finish up in December.  I'd seen her their before.  Her husband's a Harvard alum who's doing Native American law on his own.  Rick and Elyse P. were there too of course.  It was good to see them.  

I had a brief conversation with Jon J., one of the Pro Bono Comm. co-chairs.  He remembered me from the lunch at Patton Boggs a few months back.  I told him I was going to be interning for the Potomac Legal Aid Society this summer and that he should feel free to give me anything a 1L can help out with.

The JRCLS Distinguished Service Award was given to Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  He had been a managing partner at a law firm in San Francisco before working in health care and later being called to church service.  His message focused on two pieces of the Constitutions: 1) pursuit of happiness and 2) religious freedom.  The pursuit of happiness portion was about not comparing yourself to everyone who is the best at a particular skill.  Instead, he encouraged us to strive to develop Christ-like attributes.  The religious freedom portion was focused on encouraging lawyers to actively participate in conversations about the Church in public fora with thoughtful, reasoned responses.

It was a good evening.  Would have been better if Lex were here.  She's off in her homeland playing with friends and family.  She's also got a bridal shower up there this weekend.