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Ruth Bader Ginsburg: the lessons she leaves behind for Law Enforcement
“I tell law students… if you are going to be a lawyer and just practice your profession, you have a skill — very much like a plumber. But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself… something that makes life a little better for people less fortunate than you.”
Seven days ago The New York Times shared a reflection on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Associate Justice, examining the transitions which led her to the highest court in the land. The piece was a brilliant observation highlighting that if you want to do good work, necessary work, one must put people — human lives and human dignity at the forefront of their work. While Justice Ginsburg’s life could easily be a case study for every profession, I find, especially in this moment, her life to be an exceptionally bright guiding light helpful in leading law enforcement into a new era of Policing. Understanding that justice was her priority, accepting and learning from our individual errors should happen without delay, and finally; dissent — necessary, especially when the majority’s opinions and behaviors demean human life; are all lessons we should embody as law enforcement professionals.
Over the years I’ve had the good fortune to have visited the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. —…
