Invariably, Though

OP-EDPIECEFORNATIONALDUEPROCESSDAY

(DistributiontoLocalMedia)

By (LOCALNAPPSMEMBER)

PeopleoftenaskmeabouttheworkIdoasaprofessionalprocessserver. Theinterestingstories. ThepeopleImeet.

Invariably, though, whatpiquestheirinterestthemostiswhenItalkaboutourroleinpreservingdueprocessrights. Itmightsoundhighandmightyatfirst, butI’mproudtobeinaprofessionthatnotonlyplaysaroleinensuringfairandequitabletreatmentunderthelaw, butiscommittedenoughtoittosponsorthis, thefirstNationalDueProcessDay.

AsamemberoftheNationalAssociationofProfessionalProcessServers, Iamobligatedtoabidebyastrictsetofstandardsandbestpractices, butwhatitreallycomesdowntoisprotectingthedueprocessrightsofpersonsaffectedbyourservice. Ifwefailtodoourjobscorrectly, legalcasescanbedelayedordismissed, andthelegalsystemweallvalueandcherishbecomescompromised.

Technicallyspeaking, dueprocessisprotectedbytheFifthand 14thAmendments. Butonapracticalday-in, day-outperspective, itiscarriedoutbylegalprofessionals – fromlawenforcementtonotariestolawyersandjudges – committedtomakingsurethateveryAmericanistreatedfairlyandequitablyunderthelaw.

Anythinglessthanthehighestlevelofprofessionalismcancauseabreakdowninthesystem – asystemourFoundingFathershadtheforesighttoenvisionandinsiston. Theywereescapingtyrannywhentheydeclaredtheirindependence, anditiswhywetakeourjobssoseriously.

It’swhy, too, weneedavoidlettingourguarddownwhenitcomestothingsthatcanchallengeourdueprocessrights.

Inourbusiness, forexample, personalserviceofprocessisacorevaluewemustinsistonandnotsuccumbtotheconvenience – andimperfections – ofservingprocessviaemail, socialmediaorotherelectronicmeans. AsnotedattorneyStevenTepplerwroterecentlyintheNationalLawReview, despitetechnologicaladvancements, “personalserviceofprocessremainsthemostreliableandefficaciouswaytobothensurecompliancewithdue-processrequirementsofnoticetoadefendantandtheopportunitytobeheard.”

OnthisNationalDueProcessDay, weaskyoutojoinusinbothcommemoratingtheidealssetforthintheFifthand 14thAmendments, andprotectingthoserightsforourchildren, ourgrandchildrenandbeyond.

AsamemberofNAPPSandamemberofyourcommunity, Ithankyouforyourongoingsupport.

Briefbioofauthor. FormoreinformationonNAPPS, visitwww.napps.org. Formoreinformationondue-processrights, visitwww.natlawreview.com/article/continuing-relevance-personal-service-process.