Notorious RBG, Beat the Streets, and Go Nationals!
It has been another unforgettable week here in D.C. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have always dreamed of meeting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This week I had the opportunity to go see my childhood (and adulthood) hero speak in a Summer Pro Bono and Public Interest Forum put on by the Washington Council of lawyers.
Needless to say, when she entered the room to speak the entire audience fell silent out of respect for this tiny but impressive woman. The focus of the event was on the responsibility lawyers have to uplift members of their community and to be agents of change through pro bono service. In the opening remarks, the point was made that no one better exemplifies what it means to be a change agent than Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Justice Ginsburg went on to tell us that she decided to become a lawyer during the red scare; a time where people were being persecuted for what they believed and when it was the role of the lawyer to stand up for those who weren’t being protected by the institutions of their society. Notably, she decided to become a lawyer during a time when women were openly discriminated against in the workplace and when “lady lawyers” weren’t looked upon very fondly, to say the least.
Justice Ginsburg emphasized the role of lawyers as social engineers and as responders to the needs of the underrepresented. My favorite moment of the forum was when Justice Ginsburg told the story of Lilly Ledbetter, in her own words. I had heard the story of Lilly Ledbetter enough times in my history classes for it to be a legend of sorts, so it was especially moving to hear the notorious RBG retell the story of her infamous dissenting opinion herself. Justice Ginsburg’s parting words of advice that day were for us all to do something outside of ourselves to repair some of the tears in our society.
The highlight of my work week was representing Ayuda at an event called Beat the Streets put on by the MPD in an effort to strengthen relations between officers and community members. We were able to hand out resources to many community members and I spoke with a teenager who told me about how undocumented people in his community live in heightened fear of ICE and deportation. It was a difficult conversation but it reminded me of how federal policies have a very direct impact on local communities and why Ayuda’s advocacy work is so important.
Outside of my work, I continue to make the most of being here. Tonight I am excited to attend my first Nationals baseball game!
– Sophie Leruth (Class of 2019)
