If you do not know who Lani Guinier was, please read this article from the Washington Post. Or Google her. We lost a giant in the field of law earlier this week.
You will find that she was a leader in the field of civil rights in our country, particularly voting rights. She was a staunch advocate for both at the USDOJ and before that at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She was educated at elite schools, and she taught at them as well. She was a presidential nominee to head the USDOJ Civil Rights Division, but her nomination fell victim to partisan politics.
She was ahead of her time on her recognition of the seriousness of issues related to access to the ballot — issues that we are only just tackling in this country today. No matter your political persuasion, make yourself familiar with her legacy. To be a lawyer is to understand how the legal climate of the past informs the future.
