A whirlwind entrance to Louisville
- Robert Brown (far left) participates in a traditional Japanese ceremony at the Governor's Mansion.
I have now been in Kentucky for just a little over two months. And what a whirlwind it has been!
In January, I was invited to the annual celebration of Japanese-Kentucky cooperation at the Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort. At the event, our alum Robert Brown (1974) was honored with the Japanese government’s highest award given to a non-Japanese, the Order of the Rising Sun, bestowed on him by the Japanese Consul General. There, I chatted with Robert and Gov. Matt Bevin and several of his cabinet secretaries.
Then, in the first week of February, I welcomed Attorney General Andy Beshear to the law school, where he delivered an impassioned defense of the #MeToo movement, which has raised awareness about the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in our society.
And in between, I met a kaleidoscope of equally impressive people. One memorable lunch was with Ben Chandler, the former U.S. representative and now president of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Ben’s grandmother, two-term Governor A.B. "Happy" Chandler, was from Corydon, in Henderson County, Kentucky. My father was born in Corydon too, and when I arrived at lunch, Ben told me that in our grandfathers’ generation, two Chandler women married two Crawford men — so I can now claim Kentucky cousins.
Above all, I have been impressed by the dedication and ability of our students.
One Saturday, I spent a morning as a mock interviewer for 1Ls at an event hosted by Frost Brown Todd. The variety, quality and achievement of the students I interviewed was impressive.
Many of our students, I learned, have had different careers, including challenging tours of military duty. Others are parents — one law review editor manages to do that and take care of four children! And he is not alone.
At Student Bar Association, the mother of two who had started her day at 8 a.m. showed up at a meeting at 8:30 p.m. to present an argument in defense of the creation of a Diversity Chair within the SBA. That sort of dedication to her beliefs comes at a short-term cost to family, I know. But it also speaks to someone who will bring great integrity and ability to the practice of law. In short, I am thrilled to be a part of this community, where healthy debate is encouraged and alive, in a welcoming city and at a dynamic, friendly law school.
I look forward to meeting more members of the Brandeis community in coming months. Please feel free to contact me at colin.crawford@louisville.edu if you would like to connect.
