The Prairie Barrister – The Inauguration

The Prairie Barrister sat at his desk and surveyed his office. When he started the journey, he had nothing except the licenses on the wall. Even with such a humble beginning, the Prairie Barrister had always been determined to seek justice. Every day, the Prairie Barrister diligently went about pursuing justice, task by task, always focused on growing his own ability to seek and find justice in the law. While the Prairie Barrister’s current office was nice, it couldn’t compete with the trappings of corporate or government power. Still, every day the Prairie Barrister removed fear from his own heart, learned to speak truth to power, and pursued justice. In this way, the Prairie Barrister was satisfied.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court where the Prairie Barrister practiced law had commissioned a legacy project: a brand-new Hall of Justice with dozens of courtrooms, deliberation rooms and jury boxes. The night before the inauguration the Chief Justice had a dream. Lady Justice appeared to the judge and said, “I cannot attend the inauguration of the Hall of Justice tomorrow.” Lady Justice continued, “The Prairie Barrister is delivering a closing argument and needs me to be present. The Prairie Barrister is my most faithful servant, it would be wrong if I did not respond to his call. Besides, I will visit your Hall of Justice when the time is right. If I did not, the Hall of Justice could never live up to its name.”

The Chief Justice was highly disappointed. What could one lawyer be doing that would match the power of the Chief Justice’s lifetime achievement, the Hall of Justice? The Chief Justice heard the Prairie Barrister was in trial outside the city, so he went to find him and see for himself what was happening. The Chief Justice found the Prairie Barrister in a beautiful, but small, one room courthouse on the prairie. The courthouse was so small it was only operating one week per month and with a traveling judge. Before he could think anything else, the Chief Justice saw the Prairie Barrister in the hallway, preparing to deliver his final argument without an associate attorney, clerk or assistant. But the Prairie Barrister was not alone, he was speaking with his client, and this is what the Prairie Barrister
said:

“You have waited years for justice. You have doubted if justice can even be found in a courthouse. You have been doubted, by friend and foe alike. They have whispered that your hope for justice is naïve, or worse, delusional. Even now, the air is thick with the fear of injustice. But you have refused to give up hope that justice is real. You have taken action that displayed faith in justice, that sought justice, and kept the flame of justice alive. I cannot guarantee you we will glimpse justice today and, I admit, sometimes justice does not appear when I expect. But I have been seeking justice for years, I have heard her whisper in the wind, she has visited my dreams and she is our ally. Have no fear in your heart. Now is the time for justice. Now is the time for wrongs to be righted. Give me your trust
and confidence. We will call for lady justice and fill this courthouse with her presence.”

The Chief Justice realized then that Lady Justice was right to miss his inauguration. In his heart, the Chief Justice spoke to Lady Justice and said, “It is no matter that you miss my inauguration. I only ask that you appear in the moments of truth and power in the new Hall of Justice.”