By Bethany Hyatt
Elder Dallin H. Oaks discussed the importance of good mentors in the formative years of a lawyer?s practice during his address to the J. Reuben Clark Law Society Friday evening.
Elder Oaks explained, in his talk entitled ?The Beginning and End of a Lawyer,? how good mentors can help shape men and women into more than just lawyers.
?What will remain when we reach the formal end of our practice . . . as we have our last appearance before a judge [Jesus Christ]?? Elder Oaks asked his audience spanning the nation via satellite broadcast.
Elder Oaks said the qualities and morals a lawyer learns and applies throughout their legal profession will remain with them even after they end their legal career.
Drawing from his own experiences, Elder Oaks shared lessons he learned from four men he calls his ?fathers in the law? that helped throughout his law career.
The first ?father? was Edward H. Levy, Elder Oaks? law professor at the University of Chicago.
Elder Oaks said Levy taught him, while he was still a law student, the importance of ?motivation for preparation? and the ?natural goodness of the law.?
Elder Oaks? second ?father,? John K. Edmonds, was his stake president in Chicago while he was a law student, lawyer and law professor.
?He had powerful influence over my spiritual development,? Elder Oaks said.
Elder Oaks said Edmonds taught him how to keep life in balance including the spiritual, intellectual and practical.
The third ?father,? Chief Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court, turned out to be ?an unlikely mentor,? Elder Oaks said.
Elder Oaks, while serving one year as a law clerk for Warren, said he disagreed with 40 percent of Warren?s votes.
However, Elder Oaks said Warren impacted him with his ?quality of treating everyone as a child of God? and his assigning ?the highest priority to his family.?
Elder Oaks? fourth ?father,? Louis F. Powell – who later became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, provided him with tutelage vital in preparing to be president of BYU and later responsibilities as an apostle.
?It was a privilege to learn from Louis Powell,? Elder Oaks said.
Elder Oaks said all four men taught him important principles in the ?formative years of my legal profession.?
Scott Loveless, professor of law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, watched Elder Oaks? talk with more than 100 alumni, faculty, and students at BYU.
Loveless said Elder Oaks conveyed warmth and wisdom during his speech.
?He [Elder Oaks] always sees things in perspective,? Loveless said. ?He shared guiding values in how we should practice law.?
