Category: President’s Message
When I first began volunteering as a temporary judge, my mother-in-law asked me how often I got to use the “little hammer.” I correctly concluded that she was referring to a gavel, and probably had in her mind something that was a different size than what I held in a picture that recently appeared on the cover of San Diego Lawyer. When I responded, my mother-in-law was visibly aghast to learn that not only did I not use one at all, but that I also could not recall seeing one in the courtrooms I had appeared in across the state. That conversation perhaps reflects one of the challenges faced by members of our bench: a misperception about what a judge’s role is and should be. Read More
Yesterday marked the anniversary of my sister entering the world — happy birthday again, Michelle — and the first day of spring. Both events are significant to me. Read More
In a few days, we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The holiday can trigger several potential topics that are relevant to our profession. Those could conceivably include different historical views about whether a governmental entity’s celebration of such a holiday involves an inappropriate co-mingling of church and state. Or we could consider the impact that an activity often associated with the day — alcohol consumption — has had on our profession, something that ironically yields some sobering thoughts. But, for me, it also serves as a reminder to celebrate the American immigration story. Read More
This past week, Lent began. When I was a child, somebody shared with me their perception that it was basically a second opportunity at a New Year’s resolution, except that it covered only 40 days, rather than 365. As my friend noted, giving up things that are generally not good for you may be more an act of self-care than a manifestation of religious devotion. Read More
In The Lost Lawyer, a book first published in 1993, Anthony Kronman described an idealized figure, the lawyer statesman. Such an individual is “possessed of great practical wisdom and exceptional persuasive powers, devoted to the public good but keenly aware of the limitations of human beings and their political arrangements.” That is, the lawyer-statesman is distinguished from other lawyers by “extraordinary devotion” to the public good, and “wisdom in deliberating about it.” Although Kronman bemoaned that such an ideal had become increasingly rare, there were and are people who exemplify it. Read More
