Words of Wisdom

:"When you hear someone in power insult people in our country because of their national origin or their religion you think the foes of democracy in other countries aren't smiling? For those that say a judge can't be fair if he is of Mexican origin, did you think there was only one of us? That we'd let our kids get worn down by that when they asked us about it on their way to school? That it would make it any less true that Betsy Ross' flag belongs not to your kids only, but also to mine."-- Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, California Supreme Court

"Listening is just as important as speaking. We're trained to be oral advocates, to be eloquent and articulate in our argument or negotiation. But really, we can't get anywhere without listening -- to our clients, our colleagues, or adversaries. Listening is one of the unsung core skills of being a great lawyer."-- Dorian Daley, Oracle executive vice president and general counsel

:"Never, ever do anything that you wouldn't want to see on the cover of the Los Angeles Daily Journal ... Once your reputation is tarnished, it will affect everything you do from that moment on."-- Justice Carol D. Codrington, 4th District Court of Appeal

":"Your success is not necessarily dependent upon your title, salary or economics. It's certainly not measured by the type of law you practice. Success is really measured by your ability to see a goal through to its conclusion."-- Judge Troy L. Nunley, U.S. District Court

:"What is expected of us today? Truly we have come a long way, but there is still so much more work to do, so many more roads to travel, and our country needs you to take the mantle and run with it. It is up to us. It is up to you. We can't afford to sit on the sidelines, or to sit in our lazy rocking chairs, and we surely can't wait for others to tackle the problems of today."-- District Attorney Diana Becton, Contra Costa County

"Never, ever do anything that you wouldn't want to see on the cover of the Los Angeles Daily Journal ... Once your reputation is tarnished, it will affect everything you do from that moment on."-Carol D. Codrington, Associate Justice of the Fourth District, Division Two of the California Courts of Appeal