The Bench & Bar magazine is published to provide members of the KBA with information that will increase their knowledge of the law, improve the practice of law, and assist in improving the quality of legal services for the citizenry.
Issue link: https://kentuckybenchandbar.epubxp.com/i/546018
who care about justice. Second, the power of proximity cannot be underestimated. We have to get closer to the parts of our socie- ty where there are clear disparities in what is happening in our criminal justice system, where there is despair and marginality. Third, we must change the narrative. We cannot achieve justice without changing the narrative that created the injustice by making us comfortable with inequality, in- justice and unfairness. We must commit to truth and reconciliation to move forward. Otherwise, we will continue on the path forged by fear and anger that led to over incarceration and excessive punishment. Fourth, we must remain hopeful. As Stevenson so eloquently opined, "Injustice prevails where hopelessness persists," be- cause people who are hopeless about their ability to make a difference do not try to make a difference. Lastly, we are remind- ed that we some- times have to do things that are un- comfortable and hard. Justice does not come when we only do what is convenient and comfortable. Mr. Stevenson concluded with the assertion that because each of us is more than the worst thing we have done, there is a rule of law that must be respected. The opposite of poverty is not wealth; it is justice, and we must have more people creating justice to turn the corner on generational poverty. Our Thursday feature speaker was Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and NFL Hall of Fame Member, Justice Alan Page . Picking up where Bryan Stevenson left off, Justice Page extolled the impor- tance of education and mentoring our young, teaching them to be good citizens and to strive to do the best they can do in all that they do. We must teach our youth that preparation is critical, and while our fears may limit us, preparation will pick us up when we stumble and will push us beyond perceived limitations and expectations. With regard to the challenges we face in trying to secure justice for all, Justice Page stressed the impor- tance of judi- cial impartiali- ty. We must be able to trust our courts and judici- ary; fairness and due process are de- pendent upon it. He also emphasized the need for civility and professionalism, advising us to constantly evaluate our character and act in ways to build character by being honest, trustworthy, and respect- ful. Harkening back to the themes visited by Bryan Stevenson, Justice Page pointed out that active prejudice can stem from well-intentioned policies, and making bias harder to detect does not mean that it is not there. Justice Page concluded by coun- seling us that we have an active obligation to help those less fortunate. We can change things. Everyone has the ability, op- portunity and obligation to make the world a better place and move closer to justice for all. Our Friday feature speaker was Travis T. Tygart , chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who has been involved, in some way, in nearly every major doping investigation during the past decade: Marion Jones, Bar- ry Bonds, Floyd Landis, Jason Giambi, and Lance Armstrong, among others. The mis- sion of USADA is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspiring true sport, and pro- tecting the rights of U.S. ath- letes. USADA was founded in 2000 at the recommendation of the United States Olympic Committee's Select Task Force on Externalization, which wanted to create a separate and independent entity in order to remove the inherent conflict of interests that results from an organiza- tion being charged with both promoting and growing a sport, and handling anti- doping rule violations potentially involving the sport's elite athletes. In the world of sports where winning at all costs is often the practice, Tygart works to protect those who do things the right way. The victims of sports doping are those literally cheated out of victory. In his work, Tygart is also fighting for the rule of law, equality and fair- ness. Performance enhancing drugs make a game-changing difference, and can bestow an improvement advantage of five to 15 percent. Interestingly, USADA has been consulted regarding proposed legislation related to the horseracing industry, which would undertake to create uniform, inde- pendent policies. These issues are certainly not going anywhere anytime soon, and neither will Travis Tygart and USADA. While the fea- tured speakers are always a highlight of the KBA Annual Convention, it was particular- ly true for our 2015 Conven- tion. The spot- light and feature speakers asked us to revisit our role in society, why we be- came lawyers, and what it means to be a true advo- cate striving for justice. As Jus- tice Alan Page poignantly advised, we must constantly re-evaluate and renew our char- acter and identity as lawyers. These speak- ers helped us to do just that. 11 B&B; • 7.15