Dear Members of the Louisiana State Bar Association:
As we approach the United States’ seminal holiday, the 4th of July, and 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I thought I’d reach out and share a few thoughts regarding the role of lawyers in drafting the documents upon which the foundation of our country stands as well as the holiday occasion, the motto and the ethos that captures the ideal. Essentially, the very rights and privileges that make our city on the hill unique have been protected by lawyers since our country’s inception.
Throughout history, lawyers have contributed their legal expertise and utilized their ethical bearings to devote themselves to public service in ways that strengthen the administration of justice, preserve the rule of law and safeguard the ideals and free institutions that make America unique among nations.
Succinctly put, lawyers played a crucial role in crafting America. In addition to being highly instrumental in drafting the Declaration, and ultimately the Constitution, lawyers were also at the forefront of establishing the legal structures that were implemented to maintain the nascent country for which many of those same lawyers took to the battlefield to preserve. And with the governmental framework in place, lawyers went on to occupy many of the land’s highest offices. In that regard, of the first five presidents, George Washington was the only non-lawyer. During that same timeframe, five of the first six vice presidents were lawyers.
As it relates to the courageous gentlemen who signed the Declaration, 25 out of 56 were lawyers. Similarly, of the 48 signers of the Articles of Confederation, 22 were lawyers. The same paradigm holds true for the Constitution itself: 21 of the 39 signers were lawyers. Notwithstanding the pervasive number of lawyers involved in drafting each of the referenced documents, I find it worth mentioning that there was very little duplication. In other words, there was a significant amount of lawyer involvement...but not involvement by the same lawyers. By that, Roger Sherman was the only lawyer to sign all three documents.
In sum, a plurality of the signers of the Declaration were lawyers. The balance was a mixture of merchants, plantation owners, physicians, farmers, land speculators, scientists and printers. To round out the group there was a musician and a minister. Consequently, they were from differing backgrounds, and they brought varying viewpoints from each of the thirteen colonies. Our motto (E Pluribus Unum) was adopted as being representative of the new country that they were fashioning. Not only does the motto speak to the thirteen individual states becoming one nation, but it is also reflective of the fact that our country is home to many races, religions and ethnicities. Our very system of governance, created and maintained by lawyers, allows this to be so. Again, the idea is for the many to come together as one.
Although I practice law as my profession, I also perform as a drummer in a few local bands. As a drummer and one who studies history, I particularly appreciate the fact that, for centuries, drums played a vital role on the battlefield. Not only did they keep the soldiers marching in step, but they also communicated various commands from officers to troops. Much like the various roles that soldiers play in battle, musicians and their instruments play different roles in bands. None more important than the other...simply different.
For example, a couple years ago, my band performed at the conclusion of the Firecracker 5K, an annual run that is held in Shreveport on the 4th of July. For my part, I played drums and cymbals along with four other musicians and a vocalist. The drums and cymbals can be found in sculptural representations throughout prehistoric times. Our saxophonist played an instrument that was created by a Belgian gentleman named Adolphe Sax. Our trumpeter played an instrument that was heard tearing down the walls of Jericho over 3,000 years ago. Likewise, our guitarist emulated the Hittites, who played stringed instruments more than 3,000 years ago. Many instruments, many cultures, many textures, yet one overall groove.
Throughout our country, on the 4th of July, many enjoy hot dogs and exploding fireworks. As a young man living in Germany, I recall eating a frankfurter and being amazed at how much it resembled a hot dog. And, as I appreciate it, fireworks date back to the Tang Dynasty of the 600s.
It is my hope that, as we approach this weekend, we remain ever mindful of the unique role lawyers have played, and continue to play, in developing, preserving and improving our system of justice. Our cherished freedoms of speech and religion, which are among the many liberties that we hold dear, were secured by lawyers. Consequently, it is incumbent upon us, in the exercise of our professional duty, to safeguard those freedoms for generations to come.
To that point, in our respective comings and goings, it is likely that we have encountered all types of Americans, each cherishing an idea of a country that they call home. As a young military kid, I learned that the monolithic American does not exist. We’re all different, we’re all vested with different talents, and in the grand scheme of things, we all play different roles. And the role played by the 25 lawyers who signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, on that warm day in July, 250 years ago, cannot be overstated.
Curtis R. Joseph, Jr.
LSBA President, 2026-2027