'Justice is our calling,' outgoing ABA President Hubbard says, remembering Charleston
Outgoing ABA President William C. Hubbard addresses the House of Delegates. Photo by ©Kathy Anderson.
Outgoing ABA President William Hubbard opened his speech to the House of Delegates by contrasting the association’s Magna Carta festivities on June 15 with the tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina days later, in which an avowed white supremacist killed nine people meeting for Bible study at an African-American church.
Hubbard recalled getting a phone call from NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund president Sherrilyn Ifill at 6 a.m. the next morning, breaking the news.
“It was the antithesis of the glory of the preceding days,” he said.
Hubbard, who practices law at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Charleston, had known Rev. Clementa Pinckney, one of the victims. He emphasized Pinckney’s belief in the law as an instrument of justice, and he called on the legal profession to continue as leaders in seeking justice.
“Justice is our nation’s calling,” he said. “Justice is our calling.”
Hubbard went on to outline the ABA’s leadership role on several issues important in the past year. That included the interrelated issues of racism in the justice system, sentencing reform and reform of collateral consequences—noncriminal consequences of a conviction, which can make it harder for former prisoners to re-enter society.
Hubbard also cited the ABA’s work on gun violence—an issue that more than once inspired an emotional response in his immediate predecessor, James Silkenat—all of which he said is consistent with the Second Amendment. He praised the Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence for its active work since the Violence Against Women Act. He noted the ABA’s continuing work on ensuring adequate court funding and advocating for the rule of law worldwide.
And he called attention to the Commission on Immigration’s Working Group on Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors, which he said is ensuring that minors in immigration proceedings—who are not entitled to attorneys because immigration is civil—have the “representation that is our nation’s hallmark.”
“Lawyers matter, and these children need lawyers,” he said.
Hubbard noted that while his presidency saw setbacks, like the shooting, it also saw victories. This was the year that the Confederate flag over the South Carolina statehouse—visible from his office—came down, he noted.
Before thanking the ABA and various individuals for the privilege of serving, Hubbard quoted Alana Simmons, granddaughter of Charleston victim Daniel Simmons.
“Hate won’t win,” he said.
• See what people are saying about the events on social media, and follow along with our full coverage of the 2015 ABA Annual Meeting.
