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And we heard the decade’s long fight from the victims, the families of the victims of Attica, to expose the coverup and to finally receive some modicum of justice for what real- ly happened at Attica. And I see that also in this inductee class; how over the years they’ve worked in ways big and small to push the arc and to make it bend towards justice.
We have an inductee who was the executive director of a federal defender program in Alabama and also Executive Director of the Alabama Post-Conviction Relief Project. This inductee has spent her entire career defending clients in criminal cases throughout the southeast of the United States. Another inductee has represented several transgen- der youth in matters related to the rights of minors to con- sent to gender affirming care. Another inductee was one of the lawyers representing six Muslim clerics who were removed from a plane in 2006 and arrested after attempt- ing to pray before the flight. We have an inductee who was counsel in three separate class action suits seeking policy reforms in both corrections and policing. All three law- suits resulted in settlements and monitoring.
This inductee class continues to push society a little closer to justice through their demonstrated commitment to pro bono representation, as well as their volunteer work in the community. In 2020, one inductee led a team of lawyers to assist asylum-seeking immigrants detained in New Jersey detention centers. This inductee and her team were able to get seven vulnerable individuals released from ICE custody. Another inductee developed a pro bono legal services pro- gram for veterans. One inductee, in an ultimately losing ef- fort, represented a young girl in 2004 who had been arrested at the age of twelve for eating a French fry in a metro station. Although his equal protection and unreasonable search and seizure claims did not prevail in court, he did prevail upon the Washington Metro to change its policy.
In their spare time, members of this inductee class also volunteer for organizations focused on juvenile diabetes research, preventing child abuse, funding autism services, supporting children in need through local Big Brother, Big Sister organizations, and building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Another inductee is very active in a local foster and adoptive parents association. This inductee is herself a foster parent. One of our inductees founded the Charleston Forum after the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s a nonprofit or- ganization with a mission to bring people of different rac- es, religion, and viewpoints together to share their different perspectives in hopes of finding a way forward together as a community. Through these combined efforts, this inductee class has worked in ways big and small to push the moral arc of the universe so that it bends ever so slightly towards justice.
Not content with being superb lawyers, this inductee class excels in numerous pursuits out- side of the courtroom. A number of inductees played baseball, basketball, football, hockey and lacrosse in college. One inductee gave up football and started playing rugby and con- tinued to play the sport even after suffering a gash to his face that required twenty stitches to close. Let’s see if we can pick him out during cocktail hour. We have marathoners, triath- letes, and one inductee who has completed multiple tough mudders. What’s a tough mud- der? It’s an endurance competition involving a ten mile run through an obstacle course that includes elements of fire, water, heights, and electricity. Hopefully, not the water and the electricity at the same time.
One inductee is halfway through a three-year plan to kayak all 444 miles of the Susquehanna River from Cooperstown all the way down to the Chesapeake Bay. Another inductee likes to spend her leisure time climbing mountains in the Pacific Northwest. One inductee in her younger days was a twirler, not just of batons, but flaming batons and swords.
That must come in handy when she goes to court.
We have among us many talented musicians. We have two trained vocalists, elite guitarists, and a backup singer. We have two fiddle players; one was an Idaho State Junior Fid- dle Champion and the other also plays bass and mandolin. One inductee played violin for twenty years before switching to the saxophone and another inductee plays the trombone. Needless to say, we’re all looking forward to the sing-a-long. It’s going to be great! You brought your instruments, right?
So on behalf of my fellow inductees, thank you. Thank you so much for welcoming us into your fellowship. We look forward to advancing the values of the College into forming many new beautiful friendships. Thank you.
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Let me close by drawing on the words of our chancellor, founder, Emil Gumpert, in his charge to find pleasure and charm in the illustrious company of our contem- poraries and to take the keenest delight in exalting in our friendships. They say it’s harder as you get older to make new friends but that was absolutely not the case for either of my parents when it came to the Col- lege. They made so many great friends with lawyers and spouses from across the states and the provinces. The fellowship part of the College was quite true for them and it enriched their lives, as I hope it will enrich ours.