Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret Marshall's unexpected announcement yesterday that she will retire within the next three months, four years earlier than state law requires, stunned many of us in the legal community. For many years, the Chief Justice has worked steadfastly as a devoted public servant and as the chief executive officer of the state's judicial branch. Although the public knows her primarily for some of her high profile and controversial decisions, behind the scenes she has been a strong, good-willed and effective manager, laboring tirelessly to improve the delivery of justice and the accessibility of our courts to the sea of humanity that walks through their doors on a daily basis. When I have time, I hope to post a lengthier blog in tribute to the tremendous work the Chief Justice has done over the years. For now, though, here is a link to a rare television interview she gave to New England Cable News after her announcement yesterday, and here is a link to today's article in the Boston Globe. While Massachusetts has many highly qualified judges and lawyers who can occupy the seat that Chief Justice Marshall will be vacating, her departure will leave a void in leadership that will not easily be filled.
During my junior year in high school, I sat in the back of our auditorium listening to our drama teacher, Ruth Bair, attempt to persuade a large group of students to try out for the school play. With me, at least, she was successful. I auditioned for a part in Archibald MacLeish's "JB," a modern day drama based on the Book of Job. All I garnered that time was a walk-on part; better roles awaited me my senior year. But Mrs. Bair's little speech was enough to get me in the game. And the experience of performing in the school plays was the highlight of my high school years. What she said that I remember is this: "If you don't extend yourself, you haven't lived." Some memory of biology class made me think that this was both literally and figuratively true, though I'm not sure about the literal part, and it's only the figurative that matters to me. But through the years and decades that followed, whenever I was unsure about participatin
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