#JusticeinPimaCounty: Week 83
This week marks the end of summer for so many, and it’s the quintessential back-to-school feeling all over the community, including at The People’s Office.
Unfortunately, it is the time for us to say goodbye to many of the 17 phenomenal superstars that made up our summer law clerk program.
Truth be told, when I first met them at the start of the summer, I thought I misunderstood what I was hearing, and it took me all summer to fully appreciate the depth and talent and dedication of this group.
Amazingly, six of these summer law clerks packed up their lives from their respective law schools, two in Texas, two in California, one in Pennsylvania, and one in the State of Washington.
And with no other connection to Tucson, they drove across the country to support the work we were doing all summer.
When I met with them again to say goodbye and THANK YOU this week, it finally dawned on me that we had attracted six incredible law students from places where we didn’t even recruit. They sought us out because they each wanted to be here to spend the summer in our awful (special!) heat to contribute to the cause.
What a gift it was, and what a wonderful validation of what we are working to accomplish.
When I spoke with the clerks, one who came all the way from Spokane, Washington told me: “I think I speak for the entire group in saying that we had the best summer.”
After so much hard work, these clerks gave themselves a treat before departing, going into a courtroom, and watching two of our rising stars – Erica Lynch and Ryan Gant – win their trial this week.
When I thanked Ryan for his great work, he told me it was a nearly unrivaled week with seven trial victories.
As I was trying to type out “thank you” emails to the 11 prosecutors who helped make our community safer with those seven victories late last night, I finally stopped and decided my sweet son and I would instead take a little wagon up and down the 20 stories of our building handing out “thank you” donuts for all their excellent work this morning.
It was a very fun adventure with my “little Pima County Deputy” before he goes back to school next week, and I just felt we needed to look as many people in the eyes as possible and thank them personally.
Time will tell, but this group of law clerks intends to come back here next summer to begin their careers as prosecutors.
I am honored and excited with the possibility.
Onward and upward.
Laura
