Maine Attorney’s Oath.
On 1995-05-08, I became a member of the Maine Bar and took the Maine Bar Oath:
“You solemnly swear that you will do no falsehood nor consent to the doing of any in court, and that if you know of an intention to commit any, you will give knowledge thereof to the justices of the court or some of them that it may be prevented; you will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any false, groundless or unlawful suit nor give aid or consent to the same; that you will delay no man for lucre or malice, but will conduct yourself in the office of an attorney within the courts according to the best of your knowledge and discretion, and with all good fidelity, as well as to the courts, as to your clients. So help you God.”
Both Maine and Massachusetts claim to have the oldest bar oath in the country. But Maine used to be part of Massachusetts, so it’s open to debate. Unlike Massachusetts, Maine includes an affirmative duty to inform the court of any ‘intention to commit falsehood.’ I’ve highlighted the differing clause above.
Erik J. Heels is a trademark and patent lawyer, Boston Red Sox fan, MIT engineer, and musician. He blogs about technology, law, baseball, and rock ‘n’ roll at erikjheels.com.
