‘Atticus Finch’ creator, Harper Lee, is named honorary ISBA member

Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mock-ingbird,” has been named an Honorary Lay Member of the Illinois State Bar Association. The designation follows her recent acceptance of a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Few living lawyers have done more for the image of the legal profession and law as a career than the fictional Atticus Finch, your lawyer hero,” ISBA President Joseph C. Bisceglia said last month in his letter to Lee.

“Atticus Finch serves as a beacon for lawyers who strive to achieve the same level of calm dignity that (he) exhibits throughout your novel, in his role as lawyer, parent, friend and neighbor, and has served as encouragement to children and young adults who have gone on to careers in the law.”

Born Nelle Harper Lee in Alabama in 1926, the author won a Pulitzer Prize for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” her only novel, in 1961, a year after it was published. Gregory Peck received an Academy Award for portraying Finch in the 1962 film.

The work was based on the 1931 trials in Scottsboro, Ala., of nine young black men for the rapes of two white women. Lacking legal counsel until the day of the trial, all but one of the defendants received death sentences that later were overturned.

“The legal profession owes you a debt of gratitude for your timeless depiction of Atticus Finch as an intelligent, sympathetic, patient, understanding and approachable lawyer who exemplifies everything the Rules of Professional Conduct demand in a lawyer,” Bisceglia told Lee.

In tribute to the fictional icon, the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation presents an annual Atticus Finch Award for service to the legal assistance community. The 2007 recipient was Ruth Ann Schmitt, executive director of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois.

Bush bestows awards

In his presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harper Lee on Nov. 5, George W. Bush said “To Kill a Mockingbird” was an unforgettably told “story of an old order, and the glimmers of humanity that would one day overtake it.”

Noting that “the wise and kind heart of the author … comes through on every page,” he said the book “has influenced the character of our country for the better. It’s been a gift to the entire world.”

During the ceremony, two Illinois law graduates also received Medals of Freedom: retired congressman Henry John Hyde, a 1949 graduate of the Loyola University School of Law, and University of Memphis adjunct professor Benjamin Lawson Hooks, a 1948 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law.

Robert Hyde accepted the medal for his father, who was unable to attend the Nov. 5 ceremony. Henry Hyde died Nov. 29).

The citations of all three recipients follow.

Harper Lee’s beautiful book is a meditation on family, human complexity and some of the great themes of American life. At a critical moment in our history, “To Kill a Mockingbird” helped focus the nation on the turbulent struggle for equality.
The novel became an instant American classic and earned her a Pulitzer Prize. Nearly half a century after its publication, her work continues to captivate new readers who encounter its compelling power for the first time.
A veteran, a lawyer and a public servant, Henry Hyde has served his country with honor and dedication. During his 32-year career in the House of Representatives, he was a powerful defender of life, a leading advocate for a strong national defense and an unwavering voice for liberty, democracy and free enterprise around the world.
A true gentleman of the House, he advanced his principles without rancor and earned the respect of friends and adversaries alike.
As a minister, lawyer, judge and public servant, Benjamin Hooks has dedicated his life to equal justice under law.
A pioneer of the civil rights movement and a leader of the NAACP, he fought to extend the full promise of America to all its citizens, and he battled injustice with civility, grace and a generous spirit. His efforts have helped bring our nation closer to its founding ideals.