Hundreds of law students kicked off a new chapter in their lives this month with law school orientation programs at Seton Hall and Rutgers, and New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) officers were on hand to celebrate their first steps into the state's legal community. NJSBA President John E. Keefe Jr. gave remarks and administered the “Lawyer's Pledge” to students at Seton Hall and Rutgers Law in Camden. President-Elect Evelyn Padin did the same at Rutgers Law in Newark.

Keefe recalled his own days as a law student, and the connections he made there. “Take advantage of everything that's coming your way,” he said. He encouraged them to build relationships with one another, and added, “although it's competitive, help each other out, because you will see each other again.”

Padin talked about the importance of the lawyer's role in today's world. “To me, it's a special calling,” she said. “It means you're seeking to protect the rule of law. Attorneys are what stand between order and mob rule. We are the ones that have to uphold the law and do it courageously.”

Both Keefe and Padin encouraged students to join the NJSBA for networking, mentorship and volunteer opportunities. The association offers free membership to law students.

The “Lawyer's Pledge” was created by the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law, a joint effort of the NJSBA, the state and federal Judiciary, and New Jersey's law schools. It ends with students pledging to “serve, protect, foster and promote the fair and impartial administration of justice.”