Movies and sitcoms take potshots at unscrupulous attorneys, there are all those lawyer jokes and then there are the real-life scandals involving attorneys who have done something wrong.
Despite all that, Augustus Chin is delighted to take charge as the new president of the Utah State Bar and points to the majority of those professionals whose standards are above reproach.
To cite a few examples of good lawyers who also have given much to the community, Chin points to the individuals who will be receiving the Utah State Bar's Lifetime Service to the Bar Award at its 75th celebratory dinner Thursday. They are:
Harold G. Christensen, former U.S. deputy attorney general over the Department of Justice. He previously headed the board of the Salt Lake law firm Snow, Christensen & Martineau.
Ray R. Christensen, co-founder of the law firm of Moreton, Christensen & Christensen that later became Christensen & Jensen. He has served as past president of the Utah State Bar.
James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He practiced law from 1948 until his appointment as a general authority in the LDS Church in 1972.
Bruce S. Jenkins, U.S. district judge for the District of Utah. A former Utah state senator, he has served as a member of the Bar of the United States Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.
James B. Lee, former president of the Utah State Bar and former head of the Salt Lake law firm of Parsons Behle & Latimer. He retired as a brigadier general after 31 years of military service.
Stephen B. Nebeker, a trustee of the Salt Lake law firm Ray Quinney & Nebeker. He has served as Utah State Bar examiner.
Chin said anyone who wants to rebut criticism about the integrity of the legal profession can simply look to these men, their conduct and their achievements.
The Utah State Bar wanted to begin honoring lifetime service to the organization and decided "to recognize those individuals we consider to be giants," Chin said.
The group was inundated with names of people who have all done well — and no doubt will be honored in the future. "We decided to give the inaugural Lifetime Service to the Bar Award based on their contributions to the bar and the profession as a whole," he said.
The fact that the State Bar is celebrating its 75th anniversary also is important. "Despite the public misgivings about the profession, (this shows) that for 75 years we've weathered the storms and made significant contributions professionally and otherwise. It speaks well of the bar that we have essentially maintained that degree of professional integrity."
The organization has grown from 711 members in 1931 to nearly 9,000 today.
Also heartening is the fact that the composition of the State Bar is changing, he said.
Chin, 44, a prosecutor with the Summit County Attorney's Office, is the first minority lawyer to head the State Bar in its history. Chin, who was born in Jamaica and moved to the United States in 1983, is of Chinese, African and European descent.
"I like to think it is significant because it was determined by members of the bar. We now have open election for the president of the bar," he said. "We've not always had attorneys of color participating in bar governance in the bar's history."
As for all those lawyer jokes and criticisms, Chin isn't sure why they exist. "If I had the answer, I'd be the CEO of some large corporation."
His own observations show the stereotype of a money-grubbing, unethical lawyer is untrue.
"There maybe one or two who operate under those terms, but for the most part, attorneys are trying to make the best of a situation," Chin said. "There are certain standards we live by, we have ethical rules, and I believe the majority abide by those."
E-mail: lindat@desnews.com