My Speech at the Swearing-In Ceremony of New Oregon Lawyers May 2018

My name is Vanessa Nordyke and I am the President of the Oregon State Bar. Less than ten years ago, I sat in that chair with my father clasping my hand and crying.  Today, I am so excited to have each and everyone of you join our profession. I know it has been a long, hard road. You have jumped through every hoop: college; the LSAT, the law school admissions process, every law school test and essay, and the big daddy of them all, the Bar Exam. Everything you've done has built to this, one final test. And if you’re like me, I saw the Bar Exam as posing a series of existential questions: Do I belong? Am I good enough? Am I strong enough? Am I good enough to be lawyer? And today, I can proudly say: Yes, you are.

Your life’s next chapter starts now. The law will challenge you, surprise you, and empower you. The law will show you how to use your voice. Your voice is the lantern in the dark, illuminating your hopes and dreams, lighting your path to all the things you hope to accomplish. As lawyers, we give a voice to the voiceless. We are the guardians of the rule of law. We have a license to be a force for good. Our voices are needed, now more than ever. Our communities need people like us to volunteer, to share fresh ideas, and even take the reins of leadership. I accepted their challenge. My voice lit my path, and it brought me here.  If you had asked me whether I would be standing at this podium ten years after sitting in that chair, I would have laughed. My presence here today and in this capacity is proof that anything is possible. I want you to picture yourself up here one day:as Bar President, or perhaps as a member of the esteemed court to my left [Oregon Supreme Court]. Mark this day as the end of one journey, and the beginning of another. I dare you to dream. Thank you, and welcome to the practice of law.