Oregon State Bar Bulletin — NOVEMBER 2015

The word "vocation" comes from the Latin verb vocare, "to call." Before the word was diluted to mean "one's ordinary occupation," it signified one's divine calling to fulfill a special role. After some etymological gymnastics, we now understand a vocation as a calling to perform certain work, and an avocation as a calling away from that work. Lawyer and writer Jennie Bricker explores how the two words and their meanings interact with the legal profession.