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The NCBA Will Be At Your Swearing-in Ceremony, I Swear!

By Josh McIntyre

Growing up I was always told not to swear. And I don’t just mean “cuss” words.

I mean I was actually instructed not to say the phrase “I swear.” I could “promise” or “pledge” to do something, but actually swearing to do it was taboo.

The aversion to that phrasing stemmed from my cultural and religious upbringing, in which a warning against swearing was pervasive not only in church but also in society. And, in many ways, including at the upcoming bar swearing-in ceremonies, it continues to be so.

Newly licensed attorneys automatically receive a free year of NCBA membership. Go to NCBA.org to find out more.

As hundreds of newly licensed attorneys across North Carolina prepare to be admitted to the bar this month, they can choose from two versions of the N.C. State Bar’s Oath of Office form. If they print page one, they can solemnly “swear.” But if they print page two, they can solemnly “affirm.”

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