Stuart Rossman

“We’ve known that our daughter Jessie was going to be a lawyer since she was five years old, because she told us so. I never dreamed, however, that one day I would be lucky enough to have the special opportunity to co-counsel a case with her. But that is just what happened in a Freedom of Information Act case NCLC recently brought with the ACLU of Massachusetts against the Department of Education.

I find it extremely rewarding to be able to share with Jessie a passion for access to justice and empowering those who otherwise are disenfranchised. Every day we have the privilege of working to ensure that the voices of vulnerable people are heard, their basic human dignity is respected and the equal rights they deserve are fought for and protected to the best of our abilities.

I often get asked what it is like to have my daughter follow in my footsteps. I prefer to think, however, that we are standing together on equal footing in pursuit of a common laudable purpose. As public interest lawyers, we don’t always win. In fact, the system often is stacked against us. So it is reassuring to know that there are people like Jessie and my colleagues at NCLC who will keep fighting once I step aside and who will continue to succeed well beyond my own accomplishments. As an advocate, and especially as a father, the feeling of fulfillment and pride that gives me is indescribable.”

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