Celebrating Over 75 Years of Serving Nevada’s Legal, Business, Government, and Civic Communities
The Weight of the Moment: John Fortin’s Remarks at Bar Admission Ceremony
On May 16, the Supreme Court of Nevada convened in Special Session at Las Vegas City Hall Council Chambers for administration of the Oath of Attorney to new admittees to the State Bar of Nevada. Chief Justice Douglas W. Herndon presided, administered the oath, and spoke about civility in the legal profession, ensuring access to justice, and upholding fairness in our system of justice. McDonald Carano attorney John Fortin provided remarks as a representative of the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Nevada. John received the 2025 Young Lawyer of the Year Award from the State Bar of Nevada. John’s complete remarks are provided below. McDonald Carano sponsored the welcome reception following the ceremony.
Good afternoon, my name is John Fortin, I am an attorney at McDonald Carano and a member of the Young Lawyers Association of the State Bar of Nevada. I am so honored to have the opportunity to speak with you on such a tremendously important day for you and your families
I want to start by saying Congratulations!
You Should Celebrate!
Today is a momentous day. It is the culmination of years of hard work. You should hold your head high. You should walk tall. And you should celebrate tonight. Maybe you should continue celebrating tomorrow. But really, by Sunday, stop celebrating. There is so much work that needs to be done, and we need each of you to get to work as fast as possible.
As everyone in this room knows, Nevada is a desert. But what you may not know is Nevada is a lawyer desert. The national average is 4 attorneys for every 1,000 people. Nevada’s numbers will shock you. Clark County has 2.5 attorneys for every 1,000 and many other counties in our state have at or below 1 attorney per thousand.
We need foot soldiers to meet the moment. And while we greatly appreciate you joining our ranks, it is important to recognize your role in the profession you are entering.
Justice Ginsburg said it best “if you’re going to be a lawyer and just practice your profession, well, you have a skill, so, you’re very much like a plumber. If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you.”
You have gained real power today. You can affect the lives of everyone in our society. The Nevada Bar needs every single one of you to be the true professional that Justice Ginsburg describes. Society needs you to use the law to make the world a better place.
So please, celebrate, but get to work soon.
You are a Caretaker
But do not be confused, your admission to the bar is not simply to fill a numerical gap in the lack of lawyers we have. You are more than a number, you have become caretakers of our profession. This is because our Republic, the United States, and Nevada have endured because of lawyers like each of you.
As Justice Louis Brandeis said, “if we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.” You must remember this in your role as a caretaker of our profession.
As a caretaker, you will have all kinds of clients. You need to take care of the law, in the same manner that you take care of your good name. It is the only currency we trade in. Never sacrifice your own good name for that of a client. Never lose respect for the law.
As for the clients you will represent, some of you will work for David, and some will work for Goliath. Both of these characters are important in our story as each of you stand on the shoulders of the Davids and Goliaths that have come before you. Goliaths often seek to continue the path we are on. The Davids tend to forge a new path.
Neither David, nor Goliath is always right or always wrong. It is for the lawyers to prove that one way or the other. And in our advocacy for our clients, we must follow Justice Louis Brandeis’ advice to make the law respectable by showing our own respect for the law. It is your role as a caretaker to protect the law from both the problems of the past and those that have not yet even been thought of.
You must understand the weight of the moment
The weight of the moment today as you enter our profession is great. It is great because you have an opportunity that so few people have. You can right wrongs, you can solve problems, and you can make things better.
As Teddy Roosevelt said, “it is not the critic who counts: not the person who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust, and sweat and blood, and who strives valiantly.”
You have entered the arena of the legal profession. Our arena is built on conviction, courage, and the trust we hold in the people who have taken the oath you are taking today. Equal Justice Under Law only works as long as those entrusted to uphold it meet the moment.
You are a caretaker.
You must meet every moment.
And you must protect our arena as you wield your craft within its walls.
The way that you meet the moment and the way you take care of our arena is by remembering today’s oath and the ethics that have been instilled in you.
That is what we are entrusting in you as you enter our profession.
And as you enter our profession, be open to a career path that you might not have planned or envisioned. While the legal profession is often most comfortable with predictability and precedent, you can find great energy and invigoration in exploring the unknown. My career began with deployment in Afghanistan and South America as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Navy, and today I have the extraordinary opportunity to speak as a five-year lawyer to new admittees to the Nevada Bar. When I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2006 four days after graduating from high school, I never would have believed if someone told me, at that time, that I would be standing here today.
Again, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of you. You have graduated with more than knowledge of the law. Law school has also taught you valuable skills in analytical thinking, decision-making, critical reading and listening, effective communication, advocacy, and determination. You are fully equipped to handle the challenges and opportunities ahead.
It is a tremendous honor to work in this profession. And I look forward to working with each of you as you venture out into all the great opportunities that await you.
About McDonald Carano
In 2024, McDonald Carano celebrated its 75ᵗʰ Anniversary of serving Nevada’s legal, business, government, and civic communities. More than 60 lawyers and government affairs professionals serve Nevada, national, and international clients from our offices in Reno, Las Vegas, and Carson City. McDonald Carano provides transactional, litigation, regulatory, and government affairs services to startups, corporations, private companies, trade associations, nonprofits, public entities, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices throughout Nevada. We are deeply committed to supporting local communities by volunteering our time, resources, and services, including pro bono legal services, to nonprofit organizations, charitable foundations, and public service entities. We are proud to be your Nevada law firm since 1949.
Media Contact
Mark Buckovich
[email protected]
702.257.4559
You have chosen to send an email to McDonald Carano. The sending or receipt of this email and the information in it does not in itself create an attorney-client relationship. If you are not already a client, you should not provide us with information that you wish to have treated as privileged or confidential without first speaking to one of our lawyers. If you provide information before we confirm that you are a client and that we are willing and able to represent you, we may not be required to treat that information as privileged, confidential, or protected information, and we may be able to represent a party adverse to you.
I have read this and want to send an email.