02/13/2026
We are living through an American crisis in civility. Public discourse has coarsened. Professional disagreement too often gives way to personal attack. In the legal profession—where words are our tools and judgment our calling—the consequences of incivility are especially corrosive. Courts grow wearier. Clients grow cynical. The public grows less confident in the rule of law itself.
But every crisis invites a response.
The American Crisis in Civility: Professional Parables (also known as Professional Parables), edited by FDCC Members Ned Currie (Emeritus) and Mills Gallivan, offers a practical and hopeful response to this moment. The book does not scold. It does not moralize. Instead, it tells stories, true stories (mostly), and parables—from judges and lawyers who have lived long enough in the profession to know that civility is not weakness. It is strength under control. These reflections remind us that professionalism is not a relic of a gentler era, but a living discipline essential to justice today.
We are called to be or become Civility Defenders. What Is a Civility Defender?
A Civility Defender is not naïve about conflict. Lawyers are, by vocation, advocates. We contend. We disagree. We fight hard for our clients. But Civility Defenders understand that how we contend matters just as much as that for which we contend. They cultivate professional environments where disagreement can be sharp yet humane; where adversaries are treated as colleagues, not enemies; and where the dignity of the court is preserved even in the heat of conflict.
At its core, a Civility Defender practices a professional form of the Golden Rule: Advocate fiercely for your client, but treat opposing counsel, parties, and the court as you would wish to be treated yourself. That ethic—simple in statement, demanding in practice—is the blueprint for restoring trust in our profession. The parables in the book are not merely stories to be admired; they are models to be practiced. In a time when incivility is easy and often rewarded, Professional Parables calls the profession to something harder, better, and more enduring: the disciplined courage of civility.
Members are encouraged to purchase this essential guide for themselves and, particularly, young lawyers at their firms. At a cost of only $25.00, proceeds from the sale of the book go to support the FDCC Foundation’s Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship fund and the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence. Professional Parables is made possible by the generous support of our Civility Advocate Sponsors: American Jury Centers (AJC), JS Held, SEA, Ltd., the FDCC Foundation, the Executive Director staff under the leadership of Bernie and Martha Heinze, and Marty Bair. The Editors gratefully acknowledge their commitment to the ideals of civility in the legal profession.
For information on purchasing "The American Crisis in Civility: Professional Parables," contact [email protected] or [email protected]
