Southwest Law and Birds from the Ashes
Both Arizona and Nevada share some striking similarities, as well as some vast differences. The similarities are perhaps greater, however, as they also characterize the states, and make them part of a unique configuration that’s known as the southwest. Native peoples have occupied the lands for thousands of years, making up a large part of the rich history here. In Phoenix, where the canal system is based on something the Hohokam constructed hundreds of years ago, there are signs everywhere of human presence that predated the origins of the city proper. In Nevada, the history is very similar, where there are multiple cultures making up the cities, themselves based on older civilizations.
The characterization of the southwest as a young place in terms of the history of the country, then, is perhaps rather unfair. Or perhaps it simply points out some blind spots in the history of place. In the grand scheme of things, then, any law firm that’s local would be considered young. In terms of the age of the state of Arizona, which was incorporated in the 1880s, and entering into statehood in 1912, a law firm that can be considered local would have lived through many of the changes that the state has weathered while constructing its own identity in the national and international arena.
Like Nevada, Arizona ‘s identity is still in flux, and still something that’s constantly under construction. Arizona as a whole often reflects that iconic bird, the Phoenix, which gave its legend to the city. The bird is engulfed in flames, and rises out of its own ashes, and that’s an apt metaphor for the southwest. In the same way that an Arizona law firm’s interests and areas of focus become entwined with the needs of the community, a firm’s Las Vegas lawyer team would become connected to the community in the Silver State. It will be interesting to see how the future of law might tie the states together, just as they have been linked to a remarkable and fascinating past.