Alan Archibald
Edwin Kneedler, a citizen lawyer for the United States, just received a standing ovation from The Supreme Court on the occasion of his retirement.
In his career, Kneedler had argued 160 cases before The Supremes - easily the greatest number of cases in the modern era.
On the occasion of his retirement, Mr. Kneedler gave this hour-long speech at his alma mater, the University of Virginia law school, where he graduated in 1974.
Although the Q&A did not hold my attention, I thought his talk was brilliant - both for the mastery of his scholarship, but also for his recognition of unexpected and often highly personal turning points in one's life and career. Kneedler wants you to know how crucially important his volunteer work with VISTA was to his formation as a person, and as a practitioner of Law.
In large part, I am motivated to write this post because my brilliant daughter, Maria, has, I think, juridical-jesuitical skills for argumentation that might be put to good use in "The Law."
But whether or not Maria is destined for a legal career, it is good for her to know -- as it is good for all of us to recognize (as the inevitable mentors and models we are) -- that people of all ages must be reminded of the mycelliar ways that government works, and the extraordinary dedication required for so many highly-trained, dedicated people to interact with one another in the manifold, meticulously careful ways that make a functioning democratic government possible. (The yahoos who have "taken over" - including the Vulgarian-Barbarian himself) hold learning, knowledge and The Scientific Method in contempt. And in their nest-fouling stupefaction, they are convinced -- no matter what! -- that God will "take out the garbage.")
Tragically -- although "the ball is still in play" -- we have a sociopathic, narcissistic, malevolent-solipsistic-compulsive-liar-felon-cheat in The Oval Office, aided and abetted by a panoply of bozo-assistants who let us know -- daily -- that we are now "in the hands of underperforming middle schoolers," people afflicted with the worst sort of Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Here is the link to Mr. Kneedler's superb speech at the University of Virginia Law School.
Here is the link to Mr. Kneedler's superb (albeit methodical) speech at the University of Virginia Law School. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfMDZrtErik
These kids are NOT alright.
*****
"The Kids Are Alright"
The Who
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