Arizona Bar Considering Expanding Oath To Assure Proper Representation of Gays

Yesterday's Yuma Sun reports that the State Bar of Arizona is considering expanding the non-discrimination oath that lawyers now take to include sexual orientation. Currently each lawyer admitted to the bar is required to sign an oath that he or she "will not permit considerations of gender, race, age, nationality, disability or social standing to influence my duty of care." While bar president Ed Novak says the new oath would merely require an attorney who takes on a case to represent the client without regard to the attorney's personal views on homosexuality, 31 attorneys have written a letter to the Bar objecting. They say the oath is so broad that it might require attorneys to accept cases that violate their moral beliefs. Novak, however, says that lawyers should not take on cases if they feel they cannot properly represent the client's interests.