When I was a law student at American University Washington College of Law (WCL), I was a columnist for The American Jurist and eventually became the Executive Editor for my third and final year.
To say law school didn’t go right for me is being kind. I was so disillusioned with my grades and lack of possible employment options after graduation, I resigned myself that. I’d never practice law after graduation. I was disillusioned because what I found was the hypocrisy of the place. They said it was a non-competitive place, they were lying. They said we had great job opportunities and we were essentially a third-place law school in a two law school town. We would have a professor who tells us that grades don’t matter and he was the guy who only hired students as Dean’s Fellows, based on grades.
Through the darkness, there was one shining light. That light was the Associate Dean, Jamin Raskin (changed to Jamie for politics). We were an odd couple. I was right of center and he was way left. I’m a first-generation American and his Jewish family was in this country a lot longer. He’s a double Harvard graduate and I had to grind it at Stony Brook. Yet, when it came time to defend me or even just listen, Raskin was there. He wasn’t even my professor and I never took a class with him, but yet he was there and always supported me. To the point where he wrote the Dean’s speech at my graduation and threw in my name, which was a big thrill.
I never thought Raskin would get into politics. He was too nice of a man and his beliefs were out there ( I still contend that non-citizens should not have the right to vote, but he was on the right side on same-sex marriage). Eventually, he got into politics as a State Senator and Congressman from Maryland.
