“It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But we’ve made it. We’ve made it. All of us.” – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
“Standing in the hall of fame…..cause you burn with the brightest flame.” – “Hall of Fame,” The Script
This morning’s message is about the First Monday in October, and the first Friday in November.
FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER
The U.S. Supreme Court starts its new term today– the first Monday in October – an historic tradition that goes back to 1917. The nine justices will consider pivotal cases that broach some of the most contentious issues in our nation, including affirmative action, voting, religion, free speech, and gay rights. Several of the biggest cases concern race, in settings as varied as education, voting and adoptions.
For the first time in Supreme Court history, the Court has four women as Justices, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, and white men no longer hold a majority. Justice Jackson, whose parents attended segregated schools, graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and went on to clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer during the 1999-2000 Supreme Court term. This is a historic moment for celebration, but it also highlights that we still have a long way to go. Only 4.7 percent of lawyers are Black and just 70 Black women have ever served as a federal judge, representing fewer than 2 percent of all such judges.
FIRST FRIDAY IN NOVEMBER
Please join us on the first Friday in November – our 5th Annual Hall of Fame Celebration on November 4, 2022, 5:30pm honoring our 2022 Hall of Fame Honorees.
Our Hall of Fame was established in 2017 to honor the outstanding contributions to the success and prestige of our law school by distinguished alumni, community leaders, and former deans, faculty and staff.
Our annual Hall of Fame event gives us the opportunity not only to honor our distinguished inductees, but also to raise much-needed funds for student scholarships, and it is the only annual fundraising event sponsored by the Law School. Scholarships are the best way to attract high quality law students, who, in turn, become members of Northeast Ohio’s best and most reliable legal talent pipeline. It is our single best opportunity to raise funds for much-needed student scholarships.
Please make a contribution or pledge this week to our November 4 Hall of Fame celebration of an amount ranging from $125 to $12,500. I respectfully request that you consider purchasing one or more tickets, be a sponsor, and/or place an ad in the program book to help celebrate one or more of the 2022 inductees.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Committed to Living Justice.
Have a great day. Have a great week.
Believe in C|M|LAW. Please Give Now.
My best,
Lee
Lee Fisher
Dean, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law | Cleveland State University
Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages.