The Year Lani Guinier Came to Town

The year was 2008 and I was president of the state trial lawyers association then called WSTLA (now WSAJ). Every year the president had the honor of presiding over the law day dinner. A formal sit down event filled with lawyers and judges.

I had attended many such events over the years and particularly enjoyed the inspiration offered by the key note speaker. One of my favorites was Morris Dees - of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Who told stories of civilly prosecuting white supremacists and then bankrupting their organizations. He gave me chills.

My job was to select a speaker. And I told Gerhard our then Exec. Director, that I wanted that person to be a female minority. Way back in those old days (16 years ago), almost every speaker was a male and almost all were not racial minorities. We started the search through traditional channels which did not promptly cough up a name.

About a month later, I met with our former state governor, Gary Locke and another man along with one of my male beaus. Gary and his friend had started a new PAC for Asian Democrats and wanted me to join. We met at Wild Ginger downtown for lunch and slid into a booth.

Before our meal arrived, while we were still discussing pleasantries, I told Gary that I was looking for a dynamic outstanding female minority speaker for the law day event - which he had attended and even spoken at in the past. I asked him if he had any suggestions. And this is what he said - a comment that I have never forgotten and which struck me deeply.

He said matter of factly: the great male speakers have always been men. And then he started listing off some great male minority speakers - leading off with MLK. He said that a great female speaker just couldn’t come to his mind.

Later I would beat myself up for not having a ready list of great female orators from the past to toss into his list. But then, I just sat there. Taking it.

I went back to Gerhard and told him the lunch story and he was undaunted. He had found someone. And her name was Professor Lani Guinier. The first woman of color to be granted tenure at Harvard. A civil rights advocate and author. Let’s see if she’ll do it I said. She agreed.

Lani Guinier was one of the most inspirational brilliant speakers I have ever heard. A shining light in the field of law, humanity, and the struggle for equality. I looked around the hotel ballroom room and saw that every lawyer and judge was enraptured in the shadow of her glow. And was so proud of how wrong she had proven Gary Locke to be.

Last month Professor Guinier passed away too soon at the age of 71. My daughter Alysha found a youtube of one of her many presentations. I watched it and felt the glow that I had felt so many years ago listening to her unwavering eloquence. What an inspiration. What a legacy.

Photo: 2008 star struck with Lani Guinier.