A PROFILE IN PROFESSIONALISM

Peggy O. Montgomery Counsel, Exxon Mobil Corporation

Prior to sitting down to write my thoughts on professionalism for this month’s profile, I had the opportunity to participate in the Houston Bar Association’s Professionalism Day and hear the Honorable George C. Hanks speak on what professionalism meant to him. I found myself nodding in agreement as he talked about compassion and how professionalism is a reflection of ourselves and an embodiment of our values, hopes and dreams. People in society place their faith in the rule of law and our legal system, and in so doing, place their faith in lawyers. People depend on lawyers to be professional and to do what’s right because they have sworn an oath to do so. Our professional responsibility is to society, not ourselves.  Professionalism should be second nature for lawyers. Therefore, we must strive to live all areas of our lives with integrity, honesty, tolerance and compassion. When we respond to our clients with honesty, diligence, compassion, tolerance and respect, we can be assured we have acted with professionalism. When we treat all members of society in such a way, we can be assured that professionalism has become second nature for us. As Justice Hanks said in his closing remarks at Professionalism Day, doing right for others is, in turn, doing right for yourself. That to me is professionalism in a nutshell.