|
Courtesy
of Theodore McKee
|
View
From the Bench
Theodore
McKee grew up in the small town of Scottsville, New York, but
he was keenly aware of the big picture. He knew early on that
the law would be his way of making a difference in the world.
“The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, the assassinations
of King and Malcolm X—there was a lot going on,” he says, “and
it seemed to me that law was an avenue to have a constructive
impact for change in this country and society.”
Today, as a federal appeals court judge in
Philadelphia, McKee is making a difference in human rights cases
and labor disputes as well as criminal and civil law cases. A
judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, McKee
is only the fourth African American to serve on that bench. “The
variety of issues we get is incredible,” he says. “We have human
rights issues regarding immigration; criminal law cases; cases
involving all aspects of civil law; and all kinds of labor cases—involving
retirement benefits as well as whether an employer or labor union
has engaged in an unfair labor practice. It provides a wealth
of exposure to things I find very stimulating and challenging
intellectually.”
After graduating from SU’s College of Law,
McKee spent two years with the prestigious Philadelphia law firm
Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen. He then served as an assistant
U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before
joining the Philadelphia city solicitor’s office as deputy for
enforcement. Three years later he won a seat as a trial judge
in the state’s Court of Common Pleas, and stayed there for more
than 10 years until he was appointed to the federal court circuit
in 1994. “I love reading and writing and that’s what I do all
day long,” he says.
After work, McKee continues his public service
with community organizations. “I think it’s important for people
in the legal profession to work toward bettering the lives of
others,” he says. “Public service is the most important aspect
of my profession.”
—Gary
Pallassino
|
|
Photo
Courtesy of Ruth Kagi
|
Washington
state legislator Ruth Kagi never intended to go into politics.
After earning an M.P.A. degree from the Maxwell School, she
settled into a 15-year career in employment and training administration
at the U.S. Department of Labor.
From there Kagi became active in the League
of Women Voters—which proved to be her first step toward a political
career. “I lobbied for a ballot issue we called the Children’s
Initiative, and I got to know my legislators quite well,” she
says. “One of them encouraged me to run for office.”
Kagi, who owns and manages a commercial
real estate business, waited until her daughter was older before
taking the plunge into politics, and was elected representative
of Washington’s 32nd Legislative District (northwest King County)
in 1998. “My work with the political process as a private citizen
came together with my background in public administration,”
Kagi says. “Being a legislator is the best way to improve public
policy.”
She set her priorities on improving children’s
services and introduced a successful bill to establish residential
services for homeless youth. “I sponsored another bill to consolidate
our fragmented child-care delivery system,” Kagi says. “It didn’t
pass, but the governor took the idea and is moving forward with
consolidation.”
This year, Kagi is introducing “A Fair
Deal for Foster Kids” bill that will move the Department of
Social and Health Services toward providing better services
and greater accountability, and improve support for foster parents.
“One of the ironies is that voters are approving revenue reductions
at the same time they’re dictating an increase in expenditures,”
she says.
Kagi calls being a legislator the most
rewarding job she’s ever had—aside from being a parent. “Just
introducing a bill can help drive public policy,” she says.
“The executive branch focuses more when a legislator picks up
an issue and starts running with it.”
—Carol
North Schmuckler
|
Back to page 1
Back to page 2
Back to page 3
E-mail the magazine editor
E-mail the web guy
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
820 Comstock Ave., Rm. 308
Syracuse, NY 13244-5040
|
