Abraham Lincoln was a brilliant lawyer as well as a gifted

peacemaker. He consistently counselled people on a particular

course of legal action, saying: “Discourage litigation. Persuade
your neighbours to compromise whenever you can. As a
peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a
good man. There will still be business enough.”
When I was in law school, we were trained to contemplate that
all legal disputes must be resolved by the court system.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was not yet a subject at
that time, except that we were made to understand to the
effect that regarding squabbles in the barangay level where a
lawyer is not allowed to stand as counsel in all disputes thereat,
mediation was a must, in order to avoid, as much as possible,
litigation in a court of law. However, in decades ago, disputes
that were not within the ambit of the barangay justice, so to
speak, mediation was dismissed as nonsense for what good
would it do for the parties to talk to each other?
Now, mediation is widely available and is often mandatory.
Hence, it is about time that lawyers would help their clients to
move past the anger and see the situation with more clarity. At
least some portion of lawyers are moving towards becoming as
Lincoln suggests, “peacemakers.”

Role of Law in Society

Law plays four primary roles in society, which are to protect
people from harm, ensure a common good, settle arguments
and disputes regarding finite resources and persuade people to
do the right things. Law is useful for societies around the world,
and helps to ensure a safe and secure life for citizens. Different
levels of law govern the actions and dictate roles for citizens at
all levels, from the local and municipal levels to the state level,
national level and even internationally.
Regardless of the level at which they operate, laws help to
promote the health, safety and welfare of citizens. The primary
purpose of law in society is to protect citizens from evil, or from
others who seek to harm them without a valid reason or
purpose. Defense against evil is a function of law at all societal
levels, but is most prominent at the international level. In
addition to shielding people from evil, law exists to promote
common benefits or welfare. Laws govern communal actions to
persuade people to act in manners that benefit all, instead of
pursuing only their own self-interests. Law also helps to settle
disputes over scarce resources. Lastly, it helps to promote
honesty and good behavior through the enactment of moral
laws and ethics.