WCL Raskin Book

Dear Jamie, We both joined the faculty at WCL at around the same time. Many of the things that I remember about your time at WCL are connected to your success in politics and governance. As a law professor, you had the skills of a community organizer. Along with others, you built the Law and Government Program from scratch. The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project is an inspiration to so many of us. The Marshall-Brennan alums who participate in clinic understand the importance of community and the challenges that young people of color face. Your law review article on voting rights was insightful, creative and reflected your commitment to political participation at the grass roots level. Fast forward to your election to theMaryland State Senate. I amdeeply grateful for your work spearheading the abolition of the death penalty in Maryland, where I practice as a criminal defense attorney, and championing other progressive causes. You’ve always had a knack for working with people whose views are different from yours, an important quality in achieving legislative success. On a more personal level, I took my seminar class to observe proceedings in the Maryland Senate; you helped me organize this trip and make it a meaningful experience for the students. When a former student contacted me for help in securing a judgeship I put him in touch with you, you made some calls, and he’s now been a judge for nearly a decade. When you were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, we lost your progressive voice as a State Senator, and I worried that your voice would be diminished at an institution that is larger, more cumbersome and more difficult to navigate. But instead your voice is evenmore powerful. Thank you for all that you have done tomake WCL and the world a better place, and for persisting in the face of the unfathomable loss of Tommy. -Binny