My beliefs didn’t dissolve when I took the oath of office… If you believe that is possible then you’re not coming to grips with your biases.
lawyer was inconsistent with the politics of becoming a federal judge, she says. Her marriage to John Reinstein in 1985, the legal director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, did nothing to further her prospects. But in the early 1990s, after years of litigating, Gertner was ready to do something new. Her law school friend Bill Clinton was in the White House and many of her peers were going into government. Clinton appointed her to the federal court in 1994 and her state’s senator, Ted Kennedy, worked hard to successfully push through the nomination. While Gertner believes there is flexibility in judicial deci-
sions, she concedes the role is indeed very narrow. “My beliefs didn’t dissolve when I took the oath of office. I knew the role of a judge was a different role and I’d struggle with the two. It wasn’t about suddenly waking up one morning devoid of opinions. If you believe that [is possible] then you’re not com- ing to grips with your biases.” Not only were progressives disappointed when Gertner
retired from the bench, her more conservative colleagues were equally sorry to see her go. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf (a Reagan appointee) told the Boston Globe “[Gertner] has a particularly passionate devotion to justice. We will be a grayer place without her.’’ Gertner grew up in Queens, New York, the younger
of two daughters in a very traditional family. Tough her father believed a woman’s destiny was primarily to marry and keep house, his actions sometimes belied the sentiment. He often praised her varied accomplishments, and while she lived at home, the pair often stayed up late into the night discussing politics. After he died, the family found a stack of newspaper clippings beside his bed tracking his daughter’s career. In high school, she was class president, homecoming queen, a cheerleader, and valedictorian. “My generation of women wasn’t quite sure where we were headed so being smart wasn’t enough, we had to try and
Gala
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:
WWW.MCCA.COM
Jennifer Chen, VP- External Relations PHONE (202) 739-5902 |
jenchen@mcca.com
MCCA
DIVERSITY HONORS GALA NewYork, NY
2013
September 17th
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52