 As a proud and grateful alumnus of the College of Law at the University of Kentucky, I want to begin by thanking the College of Law and the Kentucky Law Journal for conceptualizing, organizing, and hosting this wonderful, wonderful symposium. Dean Brennan, my new friend, and Stefan Bing, a friend that I had not yet met, called me early this year and announced to me to my surprise that the law journal had decided to hold a symposium in my honor. I was stunned, really. It was nothing that I could have imagined would come my way. And then when they told me in the same conversation that it was my choice to select the subject of this symposium, they will recall that there was no hesitation in my voice whatsoever. I immediately responded, we need to address the crisis underfunding of the state courts in this country. And they immediately took up the challenge, immediately recognized the opportunity and went to work in a way that I have been impressed since then with their level of intellectual competency, their commitment which has been nothing but professional every step of the way, and a great credit not only to our wonderful law school, but to this university and to our profession. I'm one of those older lawyers that sees a bright future for the law because I see bright lawyers coming into the law from our law schools, beginning with the College of Law at the University of Kentucky. And I'm convinced that we have a lot about which to be optimistic. I then, faced with the challenge that I shared with them from that phone call on, called upon some folks that I have had a great respect for for a long time, beginning with Mary McQueen of the President of the National Center for State Courts, who knows more about state courts cumulatively than any single person I know walking around in this country. With her Kentucky roots, I thought she might have a little bit of interest in helping us, but I had no idea, no idea that Mary and the National Center would step up to the way, to the level of the commitment that they have demonstrated to this project. Mark Martin is someone that I've had the pleasure of working with on the judicial division side of the American Bar Association. I've been an admirer of his for a long time, and he is indifatigable when it comes to his commitment to our profession, our great association, and and he took to this project like a duck to water. And then I called my longtime friend, the General Counsel of Lexus Nexus, and I asked Ken Thompson, Ken, can you put up with me one more time? Because I've got one more ask, and I know you're the person, you're the company that I can count on. And again, in the same conversation without hesitation, he and Lexus Nexus stepped up. And for that, I'm forever grateful. And then, of course, I look to my friends at the American Bar Association. And I was going to say this till later in my comments, but I want to say it at the outset. I talked to Steve and I talked to Laurel Bellows, Steve Zach and Laurel Bellows earlier today. They were so kind to take time from their schedules to come and be at this program. And we have in the leadership of the ABA right now, a continuity of commitment, a continuity of leadership, which I am convinced is very much in the best interests of our profession and certainly of the American Bar Association. Under Steve's dynamic leadership, and I mean dynamic leadership last year, we started off with the task force on the preservation of the justice system, his idea, his genius, the right idea at the right time. And one thing that I learned at the College of Law that I've never forgotten is that it's amazing what we can accomplish when we don't worry about who gets the credit. When there's a need, when there's an opportunity, when there's a cause that must be served, we all come together and we don't quit working on it until we've accomplished what's needed to be accomplished. And we all know that on this issue, we're a long way from accomplishing that at this point in time. And so I'm pleased to tell you this evening that not only have I taken up the baton from Steve to carry forward the commitment of the American Bar Association, but Laurel Bellows has assured me and authorized me to speak on her behalf in this regard. She has committed this coming year to continue the task force on the preservation of the courts. And we owe her a great debt of gratitude in that regard. I haven't had a chance to talk to Jim Silkinette yet, but I have a strong, nodding head tells me that Jim, who is always there when there's a need in the profession, that we're going to continue this. What I'm really trying to say to everyone here this evening is that, and I'll say the same thing that was said to me when I made this so public commitment about where we were going to and are focusing our resources for the most part as an association in this country this year, a number of people said to me, why would you tackle something like that? You can't get this done in quotes your year as ABA president. And I responded, you know, this isn't about me. This isn't about the American Bar Association. This is about constitutional democracy in this country. And the goal here, thank you, thank you, the goal here is not to solve the problem this year. The goal is to change the direction. The goal is to turn this situation around so that we awaken the American people to realize that what's at stake here is their constitutional democracy, their constitutional freedom. And we'll probably be working on that for the rest of our lives. I'm confident that we will. But it's worth working on because it's heart and soul of who we are as an American people. I'd like to read to you a few words and I quote, all courts shall be open and every person for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person or reputation shall have a remedy by due course of law and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay. Those words are from the Kentucky Constitution. There is no argument more clear or cogent as to why our courts require adequate funding. To fulfill their constitutional responsibilities, courts need to be sheltered from budget storms and downturns. To properly fulfill their respective responsibilities, legislators need to preserve the right to legal action when needed as enumerated in our state constitutions. This crucial role played by our courts in protecting individuals and groups cannot be overstated. Justice Black in writing for the majority in chambers versus state of Florida expressed in a few lines of that opinion a resonating argument for why anyone who has ever felt discriminated against or ever empathized with those who have should respect, appreciate and treasure our courts and what they mean to our unique constitutional democracy. Judge Black wrote and I quote, under our constitutional system courts stand against any winds that blow as heavens of refuge, as havens of refuge for those who might otherwise suffer because they are helpless, weak, outnumbered or because they are non conforming victims of prejudice and public excitement. No higher duty, no more solemn responsibility rests upon this court than that of translating into living law and maintaining this constitutional shield deliberately planned and inscribed for the benefit of every human being subject to our constitution of whatever race, creed or persuasion. Justice quote, I came prepared this evening with lots of statistics and the statistics are powerful. When I travel around the country now and I speak to non-lawyer community groups the public is really stunned. They sit back in their chairs. They can't believe that this has happened in America. They can't understand why no court in this country is funded with more than 3.5 percent of the overall state operating budget. The great state of Georgia, 0.78 percent of its operating budget goes to the courts and that includes the funding for the entire prosecutorial system, $178 million in cuts this spring, 500 people almost immediately lose their jobs in the court system, judges haven't had a raise in 12 years, judges are resigning at a record rate. We heard today California in the last 18 months, $350 million in cuts. I mean this is unthinkable but it's happening here in this country. Steve Zach said in his eloquent words as part of his panel participation today he quoted Sandra Day O'Connor who said people must have a safe place. People need their courts and we know that when people need their courts they don't need them later, they need them now or the relief that they're seeking ends up being meaningless and ineffective. That courtroom must be open to protect families. That courtroom must be open to validate and protect contracts for business including small business which is the backbone of this country. That courtroom must be open to keep the wheels of justice turning. That courtroom must be open to defend our individual rights to prove again and again that we continue to be a free society. In closing I want to share with you a thought that some of us along the way may have forgotten at times that those of us who are to-be lawyers in this room may not have yet come to fully appreciate but it's something I want us all to refresh in our thinking and take up as our banner of motivation and that is that we are officers of the court to whatever title any of us may ascend or be fortunate enough to have in our career success whatever it might be there is nothing more significant more meaningful more sacred for us as lawyers and judges than being an officer of the court and that brings with it privileges of course but it also brings with it responsibilities and I respectfully submit to all of us this evening that there's more there's no more significant responsibility for us as officers of the court than standing up for our courts speaking up for our courts going out together to awaken the American public to understand that these courts their courts are the key to constitutional democracy because otherwise no courts no justice no freedom thank you all very much