 Good evening everybody and welcome to the 2022 champions for justice event a Sign of a successful event is When people won't sit down So as far as I'm concerned, this has already been a success. We're so pleased to see you here My name is Gregory Bowman. I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Dean of this fine law school I have been here for two years. I've been on my laptop for two years And it's so nice to see people in person After two long years of the pandemic I'm really excited to be here and finally have a real champions for justice event Champions for justice is a premiere the premiere Annual event for the Rhode Island legal community. It's an opportunity for friends to come together For students to network and to get to know leaders in the state's legal community It's an opportunity for us at the law school to thank you our Supporters our sponsors It's a chance for us to celebrate and support the excellent programs at the law school and of course It's an opportunity to celebrate this year's champions for justice. So, thank you for being here this evening And I want to thank and Acknowledge our lead sponsors for this evening's event The law firm of Chisholm Chisholm and Kilpatrick limited The law firm of Jones-Kellher LLP and the law firm of Mandel Boclair and Mandel limited Their generosity makes our law school success Paul possible and we appreciate their friendship and support And I also want to extend our thanks and deep appreciation to our other event sponsors for this evening Who are listed on the program and on our event website? now This year champions is a little bit different in that we are not doing it in the middle of the spring semester We're doing it at the end of the semester So some of our students could not be here with us this evening. They're taking finals That yeah, boo Dean is the Dean's fault But For the students who are here and there are students here Thank you for being with us tonight. You are the future of the legal profession and we are proud of you We are also joined this evening by other distinguished guests and I want to extend a warm and grateful welcome to members of the federal and state judiciary elected officials university trustees members of the law school's board of directors members of the law alumni association board of directors members of the university's board of trustees honorary degree recipients and Our returning champions for justice whom we have honored in previous years We really really appreciate everyone's being here this evening and I also want to thank our university's provost dr. Margaret Everett for being here with us tonight Provost Everett in case you have not met her is a fantastic partner and supporter for our law school our programs our students and I deeply appreciate you being here with us tonight, Margaret Would you please come up and say a few words? Everyone so wonderful to as Dean Bowman said it's wonderful to welcome you. It's wonderful to be in person Gathering as a group after a long few years, and I am particularly Delighted to be at my first in-person champions for justice event. It's really a pleasure and It's a pleasure to Thank you all for the support that you give to our wonderful law school and to our wonderful Students and to the important work that I think we do every day, so thank you so much For being here and for your support President Mialas could not be here this evening, and he sends his regrets. He is on a long planned work trip in Europe building partnerships for the institution and Representing us abroad President Mialas and I are both very committed to those international connections for the University But he does send his best regards and his thanks for your support for the law school And our students and our programs You know Dean Bowman Greg and I arrived at the University on the very same day July 1 2020 what what were we thinking looking for jobs in the middle of a pandemic Greg? I don't know, but we got through it, and I think that kind of bonded us and Greg has been a wonderful partner to work with and I think we've gotten a lot of really exciting things going together In connection with the University and the law school We're working hard on expanding our pre-law advising our three plus three programs The law school has been a terrific partner and some of the Institution-wide initiatives that we've been working on related to real estate and real estate development To the blue economy and coastal sustainability the law school is a critical and vital partner in that work And I know that we're going to be a stronger University By working together and with our law school and our law school Contribute so much to the reputation of the institution and to the important work we do so For that reason and many more. I'm delighted to be here. Thank you again for letting me attend this amazing event And for sharing the evening with you. Thank you so much Margaret. Thanks very much and thanks again for being here So during tonight's event we have a silent live auction taking place during last year's virtual event Our virtual online champions for justice event. We used an app for the silent auction, which was really successful So we're doing it again, right? What do they say? We have an app for that. So we have an app for that And there are QR codes on your tables I encourage you to bid on available items. We have a lot of great things for you to bid on So please take a look and please place your bids before the auction closes at 8 30 tonight You could be the lucky winner of exciting items like a One-month pass to park in the highly coveted Deans parking spot. I Can personally attest That parking in this parking spot will make you feel very special So I encourage you to bid on this and wherever she is Jenna Hatchway. I am looking at you a Dinner with four of our law school Deans Bruce Kogan David Logan Michael Nozky and me because one Dean's not enough We have four picnic baskets wine baskets and more Many of our silent auction items tonight have been donated by our faculty and our staff and our alumni and we're grateful To our corporate sponsors Themes and Kaplan for donating 21 bar prep past packages for our students to bid on They're worth a thousand dollars each so get your phones out So right now the auction stands at having raised over 7200 dollars and every dollar we raise goes to support our students and our pro bono programs So keep your bids coming Thank you for your support And so now dinner will be served. I hope you enjoy it I do have one important note about dinner, which is that it is a scientifically proven fact That your dinner will taste better if you bid on silent auction items All right, so trust the science get your phones out. Enjoy your dinner. Well, it seems like everybody's having a good time And I'm glad you are And I hope you're bidding on silent auction items so tonight's event is the premier public event for the legal profession in Rhode Island and what started off a Few years ago as a small auction at the law school has grown into a grand gala that raises funds for a variety of experiential programs at the law school including the pro bono collaborative the alternative spring break program our legal clinics our legal externships and Our public interest summer stipend program and each year we aim to raise $100,000 or more Support these programs and this year is no different and this year We actually hope to increase that total to meet increasing demand Your funding of these programs will give our students the opportunity to learn what it means But it really means to be a lawyer to be the only person standing between a client and disaster The experiential programs that you support with your generosity will help our students learn that the legal profession is In the very truest sense of the word a service profession These two these programs will help our students learn that being a lawyer is not just a job Being a lawyer is a calling the success of our pro bono experiential and clinical programs relies on your funding, but it also relies on people The excellent work of my colleagues at law school who serve our clinics our externships and our pro bono programs And I am grateful for their excellent work every day With all of my colleagues at the law school Who work to support our clinics and our externships and our pro bono programs, please stand to be recognized Please stand everybody stand, but wait there's more In addition to these excellent colleagues We have many other hard-working dedicated faculty at the law school and staff at the law school who make a difference in the lives of our students every day Who make their educations a wonderful experience inside and outside the classroom? So would all my other colleagues at the law school please stand and be recognized and finally I want to single out One of my colleagues for special recognition and appreciation this evening This summer on June 30th Margie Carranze will be retiring after decades of Loyal service to the law school to our students to our clinics and to their clients So Margie, would you please stand so we can show you some luck? We all hope to live lives of service and we all hope to make the world a better place with what we do Margie you have most certainly done that. Thank you for everything. So I've spoken this evening about support for our programs at the law school this time I want to acknowledge a truly Transformational gift that we received earlier this year from Mark Mandel and his family It is a gift of a quarter million dollars Yes and with the help From others including people in this room We have an opportunity to increase the size of this gift to a total of 750 this state Rhode Island is a state that is rich with history that spans the centuries with Multicultural influences and a founding charter that is based on tolerance and liberty and In today's long overdue era of national reckoning over race Roger Williams University School of Law has the opportunity to lead the way Both regionally and nationally and addressing the impact of race and racism in the law and illegal profession We have an opportunity in our work to acknowledge past wrongs and to vote a stronger and better future For our country that is filled with justice for all and we have an opportunity to diversify the bar To make our profession look more like the public we serve Our law school is proud to be a leader in this work We're one of the first law schools to establish a required course on race and the foundations of American law Starting this year all of our students Starting this year all of our students will be required to take this course and we believe very firmly that teaching our law students about race and The foundations of American law is essential for their future success as lawyers and leaders in our society and this kind of thing cannot happen without Financial support and so tonight I want to celebrate the transformational gift from Mark and his family to support scholarships and Endowed fund to support scholarships for students of color and students who wish to pursue a career in public interest law Now everyone in this room knows Mark and they know his commitment to social justice He's a former chair of the law school's board of directors. He's a former member of the university's board of trustees His family his wife Evette Boclaire and their son Zach Mandel who serves on our board of directors right now Have made this gift to our law school To help and to make the law school and the bar and the state and society better So here's how you can help In addition to the foundational quarter million dollar gift Mark and his family have pledged to match matching gifts up to another two hundred and fifty thousand dollars on Your table There's a tent card and one side has the auction QR code on the other is The QR code to donate to this fund I am proud to say I was the first person to pledge to match to be a matching donor to this fund And I invite you to join me this evening. So thank you mark. Evette Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your support for our law school and thank you for support for our students Okay So now is what we've been waiting for The presentation of this year's three champions for justice Honorees and to start us off I am pleased to welcome to the podium my colleague Andy Horlitz who serves as a law school's dean of experiential education Dean Horlitz will present our 2022 alumni public interest champion Andy It is my great honor to introduce to you my former student My colleague my friend Akin at a pojo the recipient of this year's alumni public interest champion award He can graduated come laudy from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2007 He was a true presence as a law student and anyone who encountered him back then knew that great things were to come He was one of those students who was everywhere doing everything Just to name a few he participated in the national moot court competition in the national trial team and in street law As a student in my criminal defense clinic. He was a star His clients knew how lucky they were to have him and for me. He was just a complete joy to work with After graduating from law school Akin worked with the fair trial initiative in North Carolina Focusing on capital trial cases From there he joined the federal public defender's office Where he has worked as an assistant federal public defender for the past 14 years in the district of Delaware And in the western district of pennsylvania He has served as lead trial attorney in the capital habeas unit He's also been an adjunct professor of law at Delaware law school and the university of the district of columbia school of law And somewhere along the way he earned an LLM degree from temple university school of law Perhaps most importantly for us at the law school. He has remained deeply connected to roger Williams university For any number of years now. He has hosted students during our incredibly popular and successful alternative spring break program Teaching and inspiring generations of lawyers yet to come He is always willing to mentor our students Anyone who expresses interest in the criminal defense work federal public defender's office death penalty work He will take under his wing spending hours of time on the phone with them Connecting them to his extensive network. He simply never says no He's the 2012 recipient of our feinstein institute for legal service public interest alumni award And in 2021 he was awarded the federal defender services Gideon's trumpet award in recognition of his quote Exceptional work and outstanding service to the federal defender program and public defense Please join me in welcome and in celebrating akin adipoju Also very much Thank you so much. Thank you andy for that really wonderful introduction And um, I really want to let you all know how excited i'm here to be with you all tonight And of course, you know, i'm telling the truth because I spend most of my days in jails and traveling around different places So being in the room with people committed to public service Who are funding public service who care about it about serving other people And who are really well dressed and have really loved the conversations So this is really a treat for me and I want to thank all of you I also certainly want to thank And acknowledge the presence of all the dignitaries in the room Certainly our state judges at federal judges including judge thompson is getting honored here tonight And um, certainly all of you particularly also Coming in here tonight seeing all the law students all the hours you're all putting in into changing people's lives Really outstanding. So thank you for your work and thank you for your service um, i'm here tonight um with my um Well, I have a large family, but luckily for you all I didn't bring all of them here Um, so but a representative and they couldn't have chosen a better representative and that's my brother yinca adipose who's here tonight Simply put he has been my rock. He's been there my whole life doing this work Whether it's death penalty work and even non-capital work. It is emotionally exhausted the hours are long But um, he's been here with me at every turn and i'm very grateful that he's here tonight And of course, you know before I came up tonight I hadn't realized that I had to talk to you all particularly for so long. I was going to come up and say thank you andy So I heard I have to talk a little bit. So of course as I'm whispering to him there He says listen, of course you got to talk for a little bit, but get up there Don't try to be charming or funny Just be yourself So So there you have it But nonetheless, I'll try to keep my remarks very brief this evening and I promise you andy. I'm gonna take less than an hour. Okay Um, I really want to focus my just brief remarks on three things The first is to say thanks The second is to talk about public defense and public interest work And the third is about love So the first is to thank you and thank this community Roger Williams school of law and really the rhoda island legal community for its commitment to public interest work And really at this moment in our country's history To recognize someone doing public defense work and how important it is to our country and to justice Not just social justice racial justice Was simply justice period. So to do that in this moment in this country's history I am very much obliged to you all for making that happen You know when um, jean bowman called me and told me that um, I was getting this award This is entirely true. I told him surely this must be an administrative error And he said hey, no, it's not, you know You know, so we we we talked about it for a while and till was the end of the conversation I let him know you can change your mind at any time But but i'm very grateful for him that that that that that has not happened um Thanking the school. I also want to really thank the people this community has really brought into my life Because my life has been enriched so much by attending the university I have not had a chance to see if he's here tonight But one of the first people I met in the school Was the director of admissions then I think it still is is michael boyland Yeah Michael was the one that convinced me to come to roger williams and I have to say he has done a much better job since I have seen the quality of the students that are coming through roger williams They come spend time in my office They help me look smart. They cover my incompetence. This is why I keep having them come back every year They're so eager to work and at one point I talked to lori barron who's wonderful and I said lori like I need two wells Mainly because they know more law and they can do my work for me You know, but lori says not aching we got one else and the one else would come And they would still do my work for me and they would do very well So I know for a fact today, I wouldn't be allowed to be attending roger williams because the caliber of the students here are truly wonderful So thank you all For really exposing me to the community of people that I've met Not only are the students that are coming after me wonderful But the people that I've met here When I was a student here I've really changed my life Um Seated at the table. I am at tonight. It's christine biscotti. She was my moot court partner and we're still friends till today She won the moot court that year and I say she because she really did all the work Um, and she's outstanding and one of the things I'll tell you about the relationships that you form in this community is that christine Is so many wonderful things and she's a mother When christine and her children she um after she's had them, you know, this baby swaddle that she has Um, she kept them even though her children and I like five or six like the youngest one And when I had my daughter, um christine sent me this package in the mail And I get a package in the mail And it's from unisex postal system and it and it has like a 35 dollar postage stamp on it And I opened it and it's this swaddle in it And I'm like, well you can send me over the map amazon for like 10 bucks So I called christine and she told me I've been keeping this swaddle for my daughter for such a long time And I couldn't find a better person to give than you. So thank you so much christine And then of course, there's just so many wonderful people here like way under nelson davis Who was my classmate and now she's the director executive director over at the economic progress institute Yes, yes, please so So I am nigerian And wayona is librarian. So obviously I look down on her But um one thing that I know about wayona being a wonderful person I learned such a great deal from her the last time I was in rhod island Um, I landed at the airport and she said a can you're not going anywhere else first You better come to my house. We're spending time. I went over to our house. She cooked a meal We spend the afternoon together that has mattered so much to my heart And um, you know, I can't thank you enough One of the things that I you know think about wayona Is in the great word of um for those of you like the like plays um I think it was alexander hamilton in his famous words to marquis de lafayette. He said immigrants We get the job done This this really is a wonderful community And so I really want to say a big massive thank you The other part that I want to talk about which is the part about public interest to work It really changes your life It makes you smarter. It makes you better. It makes you more empathetic. It makes you understand the human condition Now people ask me like akon. How did you get into this line of work? I love to tell him was andy's clinic, which was fantastic And by the way, andy, I mean thank you so much for all the things that you did in making me such At least a good advocate You set me up very well, and I can't and I can't say thank you enough But we also know the person who ran the clinic and that's margie So margie, thank you again for all your years of service So people always ask me how did you get into this line of work? How you know you do death penalty work you do these all the kinds of work How did you get into it? And the trick is for the law students here who become soon alums or for some of you Is that you need to find a job That no one wants That is difficult that the pay is low In that way they aren't they there wouldn't be that many competition And then you can get in that space and you can do some amazing things Because that's what I did As Andy said, I wanted to do Really criminal defense work and also if you wanted to do capital work You can't do that in new england. You got to go down south. You got to go where the issues are You got to get approximate You got to get yourself in that community and do the labor So I went down there and I learned a lot about myself I learned a lot about people who live at the margins of society About how the law treats them right we learned about the theories of law But then you see that we don't live, you know, we don't live theories. We live realities We know the impact of decisions how it impacts people's lives how it changes people's lives I learned that in Andy's clinic learning about driving wire licenses revoked about how That changes someone's life in just a week if they're in custody for just a week It changes whether they lose their job Sometimes it changes whether they can have the rights to custody of their children So that means we got to getting to do the work immediately as fast as we can and as best as we can So that's how I got into the design of work and for those who are doing all kinds of different work in public interest Please continue to do it. You are changing lives It is important and I'm glad that this school encourages it This community supports it both in their action in their deed and they put their money on the line And that is really tremendous work. So again, thank you for that Now finally, I want to talk about love and you guys wonder what was that about? Well, of course, I'm in love All right Someone went back there So Dr. Martin Luther King Just in his 39 years alive He motivated us by his words and he inspired us by his actions The way he defined love is a steadfast commitment to the well-being of others This community And I encourage everyone in the room When you leave tonight ask yourself, what am I doing to commit myself to the well-being of others Not everyone can do public defense work Not everyone can do economic impact work But whatever it is that you do the way you can show love is to support it Whether you join organizations you serve on boards You dedicate your time and Finances to support the work It makes a great deal of difference. It changes humans lives Um, when I represent clients when I talk to family members Whatever support that all of us here and all the privilege that we have Let's use it to support and encourage people I finally want to close on mentioning something just a week ago I read way more opinions than I should ever admit in public I really do and I was reading an opinion that I tend to re-circuit opinions United States circuit opinions and I came across the first circuit opinion It just came out. I think maybe less than two weeks ago And it was a case about and of course I had to do something in my realm and it was a capital case Um, I'm sorry. It was a habeas case in which a man had been Had been charged had gone to trial And while it was a trial we called it there's a jury selection of the veneer That's the SAT word And the people were there and there was only one black person in that entire veneer That's not unusual in my line of work when we talk about justice The kinds of justice that people live and get in this country And yet that one black person Was excluded from service not for cause Not because he says oh, I can't Convict someone not for any other reason Because none was given it was just a pre-emptory strike and the reason that the government came After there was some challenge was because he had an 11th grade education Of course all the white people on the jury in that panel there were people who had a 12th grade education I don't particularly know what that one has to do with judgment of the other Now I'd love to tell you that the conviction was a vacated or reversed and all that it wasn't But the case goes to court It was convicted and now it's on habeas before the united his court of appeals for the first circuit And in that decision because of several procedural hoops that lawyers have to jump through The the conviction was affirmed but There was a concurrence in that decision one judge Stood up and said what happened here was concerning what's happened here is disturbing That judge was judge thompson The work we do anytime we call out wrong That's a good thing Because we leave the next chapter open so that we can advance justice for everyone Again, this community has given me so many wonderful people Including the wonderful professor allen whom I had the privilege of working with in the trenches before she joined the bar here I have had so many law students come to me tell me. Oh, do you know professor allen like? Yes, I know professor allen in fact, she and I worked together We tried cases together. We went to jails together and they say really you breathe the same air as her And I said yes Yes, so yes, that's my flex. I know professor allen um, and finally One last person I would like to introduce you all to is because I've gotten so much from this community It is a friend of mine who's now Solidly in this community the next chief federal defender for the districts of massachusetts Rhode island and new hampshire, and yes, that's one person That's gianna givans So when I say thank you all for all that you do Stay committed to public interest work supported in every way you can And because this community is so invested and committed To the well-being of others. I thank you. I appreciate you and yes, I love you Thank you, andy and thank you achon. That was really wonderful And I love you too Your work achon is making a difference in this world We're honored to be having to be a part of your ongoing journey and your life story seeking justice So now i'm pleased to welcome to the podium my colleague Professor Eliza vornberg who will present our award for the 2022 community partner champion for justice Hi everybody The lights are bright I am delighted to present our next award the community partner champion award to rhod island legal services Please join me in welcoming robert barge Rills executive director and victoria almeida chair of the rills board to accept this award on behalf of rhod island legal services I can't see anything But I imagine you're on your oh, hi We chose rhod island legal services for this award because of the extraordinary work They do in the community and because of the enduring lessons. They teach our students We are especially proud of the incredible leadership rhod island legal services has shown this past year Working with rwu law and the rhod island center for justice to bring the eviction help desk to providence and kent counties to date Over 400 tenants have received legal assistance through the help desk initiative Shout out to steve brian maria Owen troy and david We'd also like to recognize janet gilligan the deputy director of rills. We are so grateful to janet There she is And wish that she would stay forever, but we congratulate her on her much deserved Earned retirement later this year For those of you who don't know rills is the only lsc funded legal services organization in the state And with robert barge at the helm Rills has led countless initiatives to increase access to justice in rhod island Rills is also one of the largest employers of rwu law graduates and provides extensive experiential education opportunities Internships externships pro bono opportunities for our law students The lessons that rills teaches our students are the ones that cannot be taught in the classroom And they teach them by example At rills our students learn that indigent clients deserve an advocate who treats them with respect dignity and humility No matter what That truly being there for a client at what may be the lowest point in that person's life requires compassion patience and an ability to listen And the civil legal services work requires hard work and collaboration Having each other's backs working together I wish we had time to hear the testimonials of the many students who learn from rills attorneys But here is one quote that demonstrates the impact rills has had on our students This quote is from a student who spent a semester at rills as an extern Quote there truly is no place like rills My time there made me not only a better law student and future attorney, but a better person I saw the world through a completely different lens The attorneys at rills instantly made me feel like family They held my hand when I needed it But quickly Empowered me to work on projects on my own When I look back on my law school career, my time at rills stands out The staff at rills are strong witty Brilliant and most of all they truly care about helping those who cannot help themselves That's what this profession is truly about end quote We are thrilled to present rills with the community partner champion award Will everyone in the audience who is or has been an attorney with rills or spend time there as a student intern extern asb Please stand while I present rills with the community partner champion award It's a pleasure to be here On behalf of the board of directors of rills I always say that rills and my work with rills and this wonderful staff our wonderful board Reminds me of why I became a lawyer In the first place The evils That we see in the world today are not new poverty discrimination war But as einstein told us The evils did was are not to blame It's the people who allow them to proceed So for everything that we do and your name and in the name of our clients We do to better The clients we serve and the world in which we find ourselves It's an honor to be here today and I'd like to thank for our jilliams for the honor And the privilege to be of service. Thank you very much Thank you Eliza for those wonderful words about rote island legal services There's no doubt that Since its inception The program has just been an outstanding program to deliver legal services to our low income population victims of domestic violence and our elderly I'd have to say though that Great extent is because of the outstanding staff The outstanding lawyers paralegals and support staff That we have working and that have worked at rote island legal services So I appreciate that you gave yourselves a big hand, but I do want to recognize the current staff. Would you please stand? Thank you You know when I walked in the door of rote island legal services on february 5th 1979 I know There was an outstanding staff even then and To give an example, I walked down the stairs on 77 doran street To disturb one of our outstanding lawyers and family law judge thompson And then later I heard from her husband robert I understand that my wife my girlfriend my wife at the time couldn't get her job done because you were talking to her too much Upstairs was judge best barry best was working upstairs in public benefits Dave riley alton harrington just an outstanding group But the two people who had the greatest impact on me personally and Allowed me to be as successful Is janet galligan And bob sable Now I just want them to come up here just for a moment I'm not going to extend this with any large speeches But I want you to join me because you've been significant As far as the delivery of services for the last 47 years for bob And the last 30 years as a deputy director and managing attorney janet up here, bob Bob sable You might as well come up here. I'm not going to leave until you come bob janet These two people are some of the keys to my success now. We've got outstanding lawyers that are ready to go to when they depart but Janet has just been wonderful. She's going to be leaving on july 22nd of this year and bob sable is going to be leaving May 31st I'm just going to let them say just a couple of words janet Thank you. Um, I did not expect this. I'm happy to say though That this night is a wonderful experience Because it involves two of my favorite institutions in the state of rhod Island Rhod Island legal services, of course, is my first love my first legal job But the law school has allowed me by being an adjunct professor on and off A wonderful opportunity to meet so many students and to keep young at heart Driven by their ambition Their enthusiasm and their love for justice. So it's been a wonderful experience and thank you very much Also, it's not expecting this Um, well, I've been a legal services attorney for over 40 years. I've loved it And One of the great things about being a legal services attorney You're on the right side of every case Thank you. Thank you all again And that's going to conclude our presentation Okay So thank you aliza Thank you victoria and robert The work of rhod island legal services has made a difference for thousands of rhod islanders throughout The years and yes, you're always on the right side of the case You've made a big difference in the state All right, so now to present our last honoree Our 2022 champion for justice I am pleased to welcome roger williams university school of law alum Judge angeline cooper To the podium Good evening It is such a joy to be in your company here tonight This is a very special occasion for me Because I have the immense honor And privilege to introduce to you One of my sheroes and a woman I have so much admiration respect and love for Our 2022 champion for justice Judge rogery thompson It is extremely difficult to even know where to begin when introducing someone with the talent experience and legacy of judge thompson Not to mention That zine bowman has very politely informed me that I should keep my remarks to under three minutes So there's also that for those who want to learn more about jt As I affectionately call her I encourage you to do a simple google search Check out her profile on the first circuit court of appeals website And you can even find her on youtube What I want to do with my time with you instead Is share with you What jt means to me Simply put it is impossible To discuss my journey as an attorney Including my time in law school Without mentioning jt She has been a constant presence Offering resourcefulness support Love and encouragement For the past 15 years She's been by my side Through the good the bad And the ugly Both personally and professionally Through tears of laughter And tears of sorrow Words alone cannot adequately describe How much she means to me And how grateful I am For all that she's done And ben For me And my family I love you jt Law school and legal community Family and friends Please join me in welcoming to the stage a truly phenomenal woman My Rhode Island mom And our 2022 champion for justice be honorable judge rogery tomsen Thank you everyone. I am be here with you this evening and am touched that You have made me the champion of the year Although dean bowman, I would have stayed a trustee If even if you didn't do this But thank you Love I think is a good place to start and thank you so much for someone that I too care so much about Who I met 15 years ago who's been part of my heart I want to this truly is disadvantageous because I can't see any of you the All I can see is the light And so if we're going to start with love that I'm just going to have to assume that you're Picking up what I'm trying to project to you and that I'm picking up what You're projecting back to me because this is truly a love fest when we came in this evening I have not seen so many people that I haven't seen in such a long time and it just filled my heart You know where it's bad enough that we're trapped You know in in in these offices and and I don't get a chance to see attorneys except in court anymore So it was really wonderful seeing so many people But I need to make sure that everyone knows that people who I have loved My family is here with me My my children my three children raises sarah will Was girlfriend lia my brother-in-law and sister-in-law judge clifton and idre clifton friends and Doing this job and being in close proximity to so few people There are other people who also become my family And and I refer to my law clerks as my other set of children my other children angie being one And I saw a lot of them here today And I would just ask all of you who was ever one of my law law clerks Federal and state because I saw a bunch of state court clerks here This evening, too It could you please stand And there's a one clerk who will be starting in september jonathan where you stand up so everybody can know that You're going to be one of the children And in addition to uh my law clerks I saw a bunch of interns who have been with me could could those interns who are here please stand up and so In these people who I become so close to all I can say is that you know, I I hope that I enrich your life as much as you enrich mine because it is truly an honor to have worked with you And to continue working with you And of course I started out at legal services vicki and I were laughing about We took the bar together and in 1976 when Rhode Island was celebrating the 200th bicentennial We were stuck on july 6th Not at the tall ships festival Not at the parades not at any of the festivities that were going on all over the state of Rhode Island She and I were hunkered down studying for the bar And and robert, you know you we pressured you to come to a legal services from california So it was one of the best things that we ever did for uh for the state of Rhode Island I mean many of you know that I'm in the process of trying to transition Meaning I'm trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up I'm uh moving from One job that I have loved doing for the past 11 years And I thought that I would be done by uh december 31st But as I tell everyone The system was moving slowly and at one point Um rather than going on december 31 It it became necessary to reconsider that and make a decision Not to go until It was clear to me when my successor was going to be nominated. So shout out for uh, laura montalcarvo I don't know if she's here tonight. He's been nominated to replace me But we're we're so proud of her and we wish her the best as she goes through her confirmation process But one other reason I decided to stay is because some Important business was coming up in the court And it's a surprise to me tonight because someone who was part of a decision She doesn't know this but as part of a decision not to go Immediately was that once again, there was important business coming up such as The selection of the public defender for Rhode Island Massachusetts I didn't know that she was going to be here this evening But it was clear to me that You know to the extent that I have a unique voice on the court I thought I'd better see this through to make sure that uh, we got a good candidate. So Thank you Thank you for being here And my my brother-in-law reminded me that I need to Make sure that I understand the notice of brevity So so so if you don't mind I'm just I'm just going to tell one more one more story. So so tonight in addition to paying tribute to People that I know people that I've just known for years and worked with and thanks mark I used to hang out with mark mandel when we were much younger people, right mark And thank you for your gift to the law school But but in addition to keanu who I'm I'm going to meet you before you leave the building, okay I've only interviewed her remotely. So that's as far as it goes I also got a chance to meet a law student tonight who went viral Brooklyn, where are you brooklyn? When I saw I got a call and I see you kind of you gotta take a look at this video and when I saw the video I just said to myself. Oh lord, you know, I'm Trying to to to move on and like I said figure out what I want to be when I grow up and And at a time like this you tend to reflect Back about some of the things that you've gone through And I thought back to one day in 1985 And during that particular historical period there was a movement going on in philadelphia And there were some black activists who were organizing, but they mostly were They were sort of counter counterculture folks. I mean they were not into eating meat. They were into communal living They were armed they were exercising their second amendment rights, but they weren't violent But but the community perceived them as such And nightly on the news during this one period of time There was a great deal of press focus on this group And there were pictures of these black, you know men and women and children who were sort of You know dressed very casually, but you know, we all had the big afros back then and they had the big afros And so this was a night after night And during that period of time one day I had been practicing law now for some years And I assumed everyone, you know, we knew a whole bunch of people But I went to court that day And I thought I was looking quite well. I mean I was dressed in a I mean, I still remembered I was dressed in a White three-piece suit It looks sort of like John Lennon on the cover of abbey road I was I was clean Big afro I had a leather backpack that I kept all of my paper work in And as I was entering the courthouse The sheriff stopped me and pulled me aside And this was before metal detectors And he actually said I have to do a pat down search of you He did a pat down search that I wasn't gonna you know, it's the sheriff I wanted to get in the courthouse And then he asked to open my briefcase my knapsack and I wasn't gonna say no to that either When he opened the knapsack He saw all of these court files in there And he looked at me and he looked down at the files and he looked back up and he said are you an attorney? And I said yes He said well, why didn't you tell me that? I said well, why didn't you ask me that in the first place? And so when I saw That brooklyn all of these years later was was going through a similar ordeal I just said well the more things change, you know the more they remain the same And it means that we have to just keep struggling and fighting Of course my road my road island twists I mean because even though I went home so upset that day admit And you know moaning to my sweet husband who was here with me in spirit tonight I I told him the end of the story which was that the sheriff was so embarrassed And this is the road island way He went and talked to the judge before court started and he made sure that my case got called first So folks, um once again, thank you. Thank you so much for honoring me in this fashion and I think I I wrote this down because I came across this the other day and I thought this would be a great way to end my remarks You know quoting uh justice Thurgood Marshall and he once said When you see wrong or inequality or injustice speak out Because this is your country. This is your democracy Make it protect it pass it on That is what I have tried to do during my 46 year career in law And all I can ask is that you take up the mantle and carry on Thank you Thank you. Judge Cooper judge Thompson. That was really really wonderful and to make a difference in your life like that is is moving so We find ourselves near the end of the program now at the end of another successful champions for justice program I am grateful that you shared the evening with us. I'm happy to report that our current net Is over $100,000 And the law school is getting better every year, right? It's an exciting time. We've weathered the pandemic We have strong support And we have emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever before And a lot of that is due to the support from all of you in this room tonight So thank you One final message from me before we watch a lovely video that judge cooper has put together a montage of congratulations to Judge Thompson that we're going to show during dessert Which I've watched and is really quite wonderful But I want you to remember this. This is my parting message If you are a graduate of our law school We're your law school And if you're not a graduate of our law school We're your law school We are road islands law school And we succeed together with you the bar the bench our friends and supporters Right, we will continue to train the lawyers and leaders of the future with your health And we will succeed with you and because of you I've been a lawyer for 28 years now That's one year less than this law school has been in existence Right, so I've been around the block enough times to know That this law school Is different It is radically different when we live up to our values We make a difference and we make that difference with you One student One class One clinic One client at a time So thank you very much for being here this evening dessert will now be served and Please stay and watch this lovely video montage. Thank you so much for being here Hi, Roger. It's your cousins Pam and Rudy We can't be more proud of you and we congratulate you We hope to see you soon Congratulations Congratulations on T. Raj. We are so proud of you You're getting this award for being the champion of justice But we know that you're the champion of many more things I can't wait to spend the summer treating vegetables with you and watching William grow up Congratulations. We love you Hi auntie, it's Michael one of your nephews and I wanted to Congratulations you on being the recipient for the 2022 champion for justice award You have been such an inspiration to The entire family including all of your children and Somebody who we are constantly Proud of and Can't stop bragging about So congratulations again On your award. We love you. Hey, Raj You're truly a champion of justice from your time in private practice with legal services Through your time as a state court Judge where you ensured that everyone that came before you was treated with dignity and respect And now your time on the court of repeals where you are a leader for equality and diversity and the rule of law Well-earned congratulations today to our true champion for justice Judge Thompson I'm sorry. I can't be with you to celebrate the honor you're receiving But please know that I believe you are not only Deserving of the title champion of justice But also the title great friend to the law school And to its students you have been a wonderful inspirational asset To all of us at Roger Williams and congratulations on this wonderful honor When I think of judge Thompson, I think of course of a pioneering woman of color in the legal profession in Rhode Island How challenging it must have been for her to make her way to the top of that profession But what I appreciate most about her is the commitment she's made to opening doors for those who will follow her She has mentored so many law clerks and externs and interns And has built a beautiful community of younger lawyers who are poised Because of her leadership to go wherever their talents can take them Hers will be the shoulders that generations to follow will stand on Judge i'm so happy to be here tonight Honoring one of my favorite people. I am so happy that all those years ago carol thought we'd be a good match together and I Love you. Bye. Hey judge your amazing legal talents are obvious to anyone who's ever read your opinions But it's your ability to always see the good in everything and everyone even when others can't that keeps me in our view every day You're the bestest Hi judge. Congratulations on this honor and best wishes from oregon You've been a role model to me both as a person and as a professional doing my best to work in the public interest I miss you Hi Congratulations on being this year's champion for justice. We love you Congratulations Congratulations on this wonderful award judge Thompson You have changed the lives of so many law students and attorneys simply by opening doors for them We are all so lucky to be blessed to be part of your extended family Congratulations judge Thompson. You taught me so much during my time in your chambers You taught me about writing and most importantly about justice And the best part is I get to share those lessons with my students every year. Thank you Hi judge as roger Williams alum. We are particularly excited that you are being honored tonight as a champion for justice It is a privilege to be a part of your chambers team where we get to witness every day How hard do you work and how devoted you are to rendering justice in every case that comes to your desk Or rather since the pandemic hit to your dining room table Congratulations judge Hi judge. Congratulations on this very well-deserved honor My favorite part about clerking for you was witnessing your commitment to giving people access to justice I saw that in your unique writing style Helping the litigants themselves understand what the court has decided To witnessing you standing up for your position and being unafraid to push back I really enjoyed fighting the good fight with you At the end of my clerkship you wrote Hopefully you learned here that seeking justice should always be the glint which sparkles in your eyes Thank you judge for setting the example of what that looks like and for giving me a chance to learn from you Congratulations Congratulations judge Thompson. I will forever be grateful to you for teaching me the importance of approaching the law with compassion precision and humanity Judge Thompson, you are an inspiration to me Like judge savage explained in her 2014 profile of you Throughout your judicial tenure. You have not forgotten the people whose cases come before you I aim to live up to your example every day Congratulations judge Thompson on your career in this much deserved award when I was appointed to the district court bench in 2019 You gave me a set of Rhode Island state pens for my robe to this day I wear them as a symbol and beacon of excellence that you helped establish. Thank you again and congratulations Judge Thompson in addition to your brilliance your courage Your compassion and your quick wit You have inspired a generation of legal professionals that extends far beyond the borders of the ocean state You have taught me the power of serving with authenticity And with humility and for that I am forever thankful Congratulations Judge Thompson, thank you for paving the way for lawyers and judges that are just like myself I'm aware of all your contributions I followed you for many steps of the way and I've been a fan for quite some time. I appreciate you. Thanks for everything There are so many great things to appreciate about judge Thompson But one of the things that I appreciate the most is how much time and effort she puts into mentoring young lawyers and law students Like myself Who one day hope to be as great of a lawyer and as great of a person as she is Your advice and mentorship have bent the world to me and they've brought me to where I am in both my personal life And in my professional career I've always tried to model my practice after your example, especially the respect that you showed to everyone that ever entered your courtroom Congratulations on this much deserved award. Good. You taught me so much in a year about collegiality justice and how to craft a good one-line zinger Uh, congratulations And I miss you and I hope we'll see each other soon Hello judge, congratulations on this incredible honor You are my personal hero as I'm sure you are for many of the people who have had the honor to know you or know of you Thank you for everything you've done to make us all better jurists and human beings I miss you dearly. Um and sending this with all my love Judge you've taught me that every story matters including my own You've given me the confidence to Navigate systems by learning about the systems instead of being intimidated by the systems And you have also shown me that you can be an amazing professional And an amazing mom that those two things are not mutually exclusive and as a new mom myself I am drawing inspiration from that every day. So thank you and congratulations Hi judge Thompson James over here. I couldn't think of a better person to be honored for the champions for justice event at roger williams Thank you for everything you do for justice and for helping all of us and your former clerks There was a young woman from south carolina Who came to rhoda island because it's finer There she married a bill and say what you will We're just happy. She became a long timer From all your many friends and former colleagues in the rhoda island judiciary We love you rogeri and wish you the very best