FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020 | SERVING CHICAGO’S LEGAL COMMUNITY FOR 164 YEARS | CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM VOLUME 166 Letter: A message to white allies in law I am black. Specifically, I am should not cause consterna- effort. If you believe in equal black and white. I have used tion, anxiety or fear in the application of the law, then my color to avoid detection white community. It should you must act accordingly. and to bring attention to vari- not elicit a visceral response When you are in court and ous things throughout my life that “all lives matter” or that there is a misstatement of as I saw fit — typically to gain “blue lives matter.” fact, a case holding wrongly an advantage or take advan- Since the extrajudicial cited to support an argument, tage of something whether killing of George Floyd by a an inappropriate question personally or professionally. white Minneapolis police offi- posed to a witness or the mis- Because of my perspective cer, I have been asked both application of a law to your and experience, I am able to personally and professionally facts, then it is your duty as a decipher many things about to comment on this mundane lawyer to expressly object to you based on how you just atrocity. that injustice. read my previous sentence. I have many personal feel- If you fail to expressly How you read and interpret ings about the various ways object, then the court will this letter is equally as telling. white supremacy is manifest consider your silence as an Existing as both black and in the United States of Amer- Evan D. Whitfield is a partner at agreement. Schiller DuCanto & Fleck. He white in America has granted ica and how it personally Your collective silence writes this open letter to the me a unique and eye-opening affects me, but I am focusing these past 244 years is equiv- Chicago legal community about personal experience. But, if this message on my white alent to your agreement with the killing of George Floyd and you have chosen to pay atten- allies in law. what lawyers need to do to the injustice we are all expe- tion, you do not need to be On June 6, American Bar address racial disparities. riencing. any specific color to know Association President Judy If you are a lawyer and you that racism is a pervasive, sys- Perry Martinez powerfully sitting quietly in the partners’ cannot utter a simple objec- tematic and foundational and eloquently stated that meeting, averting their eyes tion, then you cannot affirma- aspect of American life. “Lawyers have a special during racially charged con- tively state as an officer of the The past 18 days of cell- responsibility to address versations or sitting silently court that you believe in the phone videos from across the these injustices” in her when anyone brings up the equal application of our laws country are enough. address to ABA members. I issue of lethal policing of to the people in this country; Black lives matter. unequivocally agree with her black people across America: and if you cannot do that, you That absolute and simple and actively support her new I want you to know that it might question why you statement should not be hard mission. isn’t difficult. entered this profession in the for you to say out loud. It However, for those lawyers It doesn’t take a special first place. Copyright © 2020 Law Bulletin Media. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Media.