A Mann for all seasons

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Earlier this month, I attended the Red Mass of the St. Thomas More Society at St. Thomas More Church in Baltimore. The ceremony began with Maryland judges processing down the aisle in their robes, followed by clergymen, including the archbishop, several bishops, monsignors, priests and deacons.

The Mass is held to bestow a special blessing upon judges, lawyers and other leaders in the administration of justice.

Although I am Catholic and actually grew up attending St. Thomas More Church, I must admit that I know very little about Sir Thomas More. As I read through the program, I learned that More was a lawyer, judge and a diplomat executed in 1535 for refusing to recognize the Act of Succession.

Most striking to me was the prayer of St. Thomas More that I read the following day:

Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be trustworthy with confidences, keen in study, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, able in argument, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, ever attentive to conscience. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients’ tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.

More was described as “a man for all seasons” by Robert Whittington in 1520 and a more apt description is unlikely. It is truly profound that the words of a man living in the beginning of the 16th century are still applicable today. Indeed, the Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct seem to echo his prayer (be trustworthy in confidences, keen in study, accurate in analysis and conclusion, loyal to clients, honest with all…).

As lawyers,  are charged with zealously advocating for our clients, just as More was in the 16th century. We also have a duty to be honest, trustworthy and courteous to adversaries. We are not permitted to win at any cost.

A wise lawyer once said, “We are not magicians, we are lawyers.” Perhaps this is exactly what More acknowledged when he prayed, “stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.”

We will not win every case — sometimes the facts will be against us, sometimes the law will be against us and sometimes the finder of fact will simply disagree with our argument. Yet, as lawyers, we are called to administer justice, and justice cannot be gained through deceit and trickery.

This year, my father, Baltimore City District Court Judge James L. Mann Jr., was honored by the St. Thomas More Society as the “Man for All Seasons,” an award given to members of the legal profession who embody the ideals of St. Thomas More.  In my admittedly-biased opinion, there is not a worthier recipient.

I have grown up watching my father endeavor to be a man of honor, of humility, of conscience, and of discipline. It is from his example that I have strived to model my career.

As young lawyers, it is important to remember that we are not only measured by our wins and losses. While we should always strive to win our cases, we cannot lose sight of the importance of professionalism and integrity in our advocacy.