WCL Raskin Book

By Jeff Lubbers During theSenate trial of the (second) impeachment, I received many emails from old friends around the country asking me “Do you know Jamie Raskin?” I was pleased to reply (brag?) that he was my former colleague/boss at WCL, my former State Senator, and nowmy Congressman. And that he is a good friend to me and all my colleagues. When Jamie and Tom Sargentich hired me as a Law and Government Fellow in 1996, I quickly realized what a force of nature Jamie was. When I saw him give talks at the Law and Government Program, perform a hilarious comedy routine at a big dinner for Professor Burt Wechsler, and give stump speeches for his underdog campaign for the State Senate, it was so obvious that he was in the top thousandth percentile of public speakers and in his commitment to progressive reform. I remember wishing that he could somehow obtain a national stage for his arguments and ideas—that he was so much better at making a case for the reforms we all need than the people who did have that stage. And gradually it happened. As state senator he made a huge difference in Maryland’s legislature, leading it to enact historic reforms, including marriage equality, repeal of the death penalty, re-enfranchising ex-felons, legalizing medical marijuana, increasing the minimum wage, and toughening drunk driving enforcement.

And now, barely into his third term in Congress, the Speaker of the House has elevated him to many prominent roles, none more important than to serve as lead impeachment manager— the role that not only showcased his talents to the nation but also allowed him and his team to definitively establish how much our democracy was threatened in recent years. I am extremely proud to know Jamie Raskin.