The mission of Lincoln Memorial University's Duncan School of Law is:
The first core value is Service. The value of service means we are committed to using our skills, knowledge, and leadership to benefit our communities, people in need, the legal profession, and the administration of justice. True servant leadership, to which we all should all aspire, means always being willing to help; putting others’ needs before our own; seeking opportunities to improve the profession; acting as a role model to others; and being active in our community.
It should not surprise you that President Lincoln viewed himself as a servant, first and foremost. In an August 1863 letter sent to a friend in Springfield, Illinois, in which Lincoln defended the Emancipation Proclamation, he wrote: “I freely acknowledge myself the servant of the people, according to the bond of service—the United States Constitution, and that, as such, I am responsible to them.” He exhibited servant leadership by putting the interests of his country before his own, leading to the two great achievements of his Presidency: preserving the Union and abolishing slavery. And he knew that those who obtained positions of leadership, whether politicians or lawyers, were susceptible to corruption: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
We may not all be President Lincoln. But by keeping our eyes on the value of service, we will be true to our beloved profession, one that exists for the purpose of serving our clients, our system of justice, and the rule of law.We define Excellence as being skilled in our craft, holding ourselves to the highest standards of performance and behavior at all times, and being self-driven toward continuous learning and improvement in our profession. What does that look like, exactly? Well, it means always striving for professional growth. Even if you succeed at something, you should always consider how you can improve and be even better the next time. It means taking pride in all aspects of your work, even those parts that are tedious or that we might be tempted to avoid or do only halfway. And it means offering solutions rather than complaints. As Teddy Roosevelt said in his famous “Man in the Arena” speech, “it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.” Don’t be the cynic who sits on the sidelines and criticizes others; be willing to be the one who takes risks, and in so doing, inspires others.
Although he died almost 60 years before that speech was given, we have no greater example of the “Man in the Arena” than our namesake, President Abraham Lincoln. He had his share of critics; indeed, he is the only president whose election directly resulted in an entire region of our country seceding from the Union. But through the unyielding courage of his convictions, Lincoln led our nation through its greatest trial. Lincoln said it simply: “I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.” Would we all follow his example.
We define Resilience as pushing forward and succeeding despite uncontrollable circumstances, recovering from setbacks and viewing them as challenges rather than obstacles, and having a growth mindset. Law school presents a whole new set of challenges. As a law student, you are going to fail at some point over the next three or four years. Hopefully, you won’t literally fail, but you certainly will make mistakes and perform, as some point, in a way that is not up to the standards you set and expect for yourself. It happened to all of us in law school, and it will happen to you.
The question is not whether you will fail, but what will you do about it when you do? Getting a bad grade on an assignment or exam in law school may seem like the end of the world in the moment, but it is nothing compared to failing a client who has trusted you with the most important thing in his or her life. Our goal here at LMU Law is to challenge you and also support you, so you learn how to bounce back from failures and be stronger than before.
You will see in our definition of resilience that we include having a growth mindset. “Growth mindset” is a term originated by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck. Our “mindset” is our internalized theory of intelligence. Someone with a growth mindset believes that intelligence and abilities can develop and grow with effort. More specifically, failure is not something to fear – much less a sign of one’s lack of intelligence or abilities – but rather an opportunity for learning and growth.
Abraham Lincoln probably never heard the term “growth mindset,” but he definitely exhibited resilience. Here is just a short list of President Lincoln’s failures:
Of course, Lincoln’s great electoral success – being elected the 16th President of the United States in 1860, the first from his party to be elected President – was immediately followed by the secession of the Southern states and the bloodiest conflict that our country has ever known. But one can easily surmise that Lincoln was able to lead our country through that conflict, reunite the country, and bring about the end of slavery because, not in spite of, of all the failures he had faced earlier in his life.
Whether you are just starting out in law school, are almost halfway through, or are facing your last year with the bar exam on the horizon, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is these words of Lincoln: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”
