Thank You, Mr. Marshall

Today the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) announced that Justice Stevens will be retiring. At 90, Justice Stevens has been on the bench...forever. And though I recognize its probably time for him to go, I have to admit I was saddened to hear confirmation of his retirement...

I have two older sisters, and the 3 of us have taken very different professional paths. My eldest sister, Noni is in the final year of her Anesthesia residency. My middle sister, Njeri, is an educator seeking to return to school to pursue a PhD. Noni knew since childhood she wanted to follow my parents footsteps and attend Meharry Medical College. Njeri and I knew we did NOT want that.

For me, I haven't always known I wanted to be an attorney. In college, I toyed with the idea of teaching high school history. But being an attorney was my FIRST aspiration. In elementary school, I decided I wanted to go to law school at the University of Egypt (there's no such school, FYI) after seeing a photograph of Justice Thurgood Marshall in one of my father's books. Justice Marshalls' light complexion and slicked back gray/black hair reminded me so much of my maternal grandfather who died 5 years before I was born. I latched onto Justice Marshall as my inspiration, seeking a connection to a grandparent I've never known.

Now, some 15 years later, Thurgood Marshall is still my inspiration, just in a different way. I believe Mr. Marshall was the kind of attorney and judge aspiring law students dream of being. Read any law school application and you'll essentially a find a description of Thurgood Marshall's career: He helped people. He changed people's lives. He saw a problem in society and worked within the system to remedy it.

Now a 2nd year law student, I get giddy when I read a Marshall opinion or dissent (usually accompanied by the soon-to-retire Justice Stevens). Marshall who I jokingly refer to as "my boo," stood up to protect and ensure the Constitutional rights of ALL Americans and I've never read something he's written that I didn't wholeheartedly agree with.

As exam time approaches, Justice Marshall reminds me of the kind of advocate I want to be and why I'm busting my balls in law school. While I'll probably never argue a case before SCOTUS, I want to use my understanding of the law to leave positive footprints in this world. Its bittersweet, today, as his colleague and contemporary, Justice Stevens announces his retirement. I hope whomever President Obama nominates to the bench will have a bit of Marshall and Stevens inside them...