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To All MSBA Members:
Imagine yourself as a lawyer or judge in Pakistan in the weeks since President Musharraf suspended the Pakistani Constitution and imposed martial law. Can you still go to the office and represent your clients, or go to your courtroom to judge the cases before you? The President has arrested the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Constitution is in shreds, and thousands of your colleagues have been arrested. The question of your responsibilities as a lawyer or judge takes on new meaning.
In Pakistan, lawyers are taking the lead in support of the rule of law. In the United States and around the world, lawyers are being called in an unprecedented fashion to respond.
Below is a message from the President of the American Bar Association calling lawyers to participate in a national show of solidarity with lawyers in Pakistan and to support restoration of the rule of law there. The ABA is organizing a march in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, November 14, 2007, where lawyers wearing black suits will gather in defense of their Pakistani colleagues, and call on President Musharraf to restore democracy in Pakistan.
Minnesota lawyers are joining this effort. The MSBA and other law related organizations have organized a demonstration at the Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday, November 14 at noon. If you are able to participate, please come to the Minnesota Judicial Center and stand with us in support of democracy and the rule of law.
The MSBA has arranged for buses to take you from downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul to the Judicial Center. Buses will leave from downtown Minneapolis at 6th and Nicollet Mall at 11:35 a.m. sharp, and from downtown St. Paul at the (Ramsey County Courthouse) 15 West Kellogg at 11:35 a.m. The buses will return to the same locations no later than 1:30 p.m. If you wish to ride on the bus, please send an email to efarnsworth@mnbar.org.
For those of you that are not able to be with us at the Supreme Court, I encourage you to wear a black arm band on Wednesday to show your support, and engage others in discussion on the importance of the rule of law.
The MSBA will be sending editorials to newspapers around the state. We also encourage you to write to your local newspaper on this subject.
This is an unprecedented action for the MSBA, necessitated by the courage shown by our Pakistani colleagues. Please do what you can to participate.
For information on the situation, go to http://www.slate.com/id/2177489/ or http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2171735,00.html.
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