As the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession celebrates its 20th year, I commend its members for their leadership in examining - and changing - the legal profession.

The Commission's work and the questions it asks about women in the legal workplace are not easy, but they are critical to the profession's continuing evolution. While women have made progress in equality of opportunity, pay, and mutual respect among our male peers, true equality remains elusive in too many aspects of American life.

I was honored to serve as the first chair of the Commission from 1987 to 1991. We held hearings as we sought evidence to better understand the anecdotal stories we had gathered and our personal experiences in the legal profession. We wanted to learn the causes of the challenges women still faced in the late 1980s, decades after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited sex discrimination in employment, opening doors and knocking down barriers.

The stories we heard were disturbing. We learned of overt discrimination, and of attitudinal discrimination that, while more difficult to document, was just as distressing. We heard about the difficulties women faced balancing family and work, and the hardships imposed before the Family and Medical Leave Act became law in 1993. We listened to accounts of the struggles each woman tackled trying to be the best lawyer she could be while fulfilling her most important responsibilities to her family.

The women's stories revealed barriers and practices that clearly limited their opportunities and weakened the profession. The Commission worked to develop constructive and realistic solutions by approaching people in power - men and a few women. We discussed ways to tear down the barriers and address the attitudes standing in the way of fully recognizing the contributions of women lawyers to our profession. I was proud that our efforts resulted in ABA policy changes.

As lawyers, we share the responsibility to ensure that we live up to the lofty ideals of justice, as well as the comparatively mundane administration of our profession. We in the legal profession should lead this nation in upholding the rule of law in this country and internationally. In the practice of law, we pass on our tradition of commitment to a strong civil society to the next generation of Americans and to people throughout the world. We must convey respect for the law and a belief that it must be applied fairly and equitably. The law must be used not as a tool to oppress, but as a means to fairness and justice.

It is so important that the voices of those on the front lines fighting the battles and making sure that equal justice under law is not just a slogan but a reality be clear and vigorous. We have many challenges before us as a nation. Reinvigorating our commitment to our basic ideals is one of the most important obligations we have as members of the legal profession.

I am privileged to serve in the United States Senate, where I participate in the daily debate about how we define ourselves going forward as a nation. Who are we as Americans in the twenty-first century? How do we exemplify the ideals and values that are at the root, not only of our personal and professional success, but of our national achievements - the values that are at the core of our great democracy? I am grateful that the Commission remains an important ABA institution. Its members are still willing to debate these challenging issues and still working to ensure we live up to the values we profess.

There are very different views about what the U.S. Constitution means today and what legal structures are best suited to promote opportunity and provide fairness. Women's voices and experiences are absolutely essential in this debate.

Let us recommit ourselves to ensuring that our children and grandchildren and generations to come will hold dear all the values and ideals in which we believe and that they will be able to participate fully in American life, regardless of gender or race. Your work within the legal system and within our society will ensure that we are better tomorrow than we are today.