Medium: Carl Levin’s Legacy of Fighting for a Fair Judiciary
This excerpt is from an op-ed that originally ran on August 11, 2021.
Last week, Michigan and the nation lost a great statesman with the passing of longtime Senator Carl Levin. Senator Levin had an illustrious and impactful career. Testimonials have rightly highlighted his work on Armed Services Committee and his opposition to the war in Iraq; his fight for auto workers, strong unions and the middle class; and his championing consumer rights. But, for all those who care deeply about our court system, we also lost true champion of justice.
Senator Levin’s approach to the law is perhaps best captured in his eulogy for civil rights leader and former appellate judge Damon Keith, his one-time boss on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. Senator Levin wrote that Judge Keith’s opinions “will stand the test of time, because he saw the law as an instrument of justice,” a quality that Senator Levin clearly looked for in future judges. Indeed, few senators fought harder for judges that protect the rights of all Americans.