MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

AUTHOR^*

Stephanie J. Joseph

Do you remember what compelled you to become a lawyer? What first sparked that decision, and what did you hope this profession would allow you to do—or to be? Do you still feel that same sense of purpose today? And did the career you worked so hard to build deliver the fulfillment you once imagined?

These questions have been on my mind as winter gives way to spring—a season of reflection, renewal, and recommitment—and as we face a period of real political and moral strain in our country. Ongoing conflict over ICE actions, the right to protest, and the durability of the rule of law has placed lawyers at the center of issues that feel both urgent and personal.