Role Models

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye

I went to the PABA/JABA installation dinner last night and I did not expect to hear one of the most influential speeches I have ever heard. The installation's featured guest was Chief Justice of CA Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye. She is the most recent appointed Chief Justice in CA. She is also the first woman, Asian American Chief Justice to ever sit on the bench. Chief Justice Tani is also a Filipino American. Her parents were middle class farmers in the Philippines and she fought hard to rise out of poverty. Hearing her speak of her hardships and her journey to the top made me sit there in absolute awe. Her passion for justice and the law made me see what hard work can accomplish. Her name will go down in history and everyday she's working to make the world just a little better. Something she said in her speech really hit me. She said she was merely a place holder on the bench, and that one day the torch will be handed down to someone else and they too will be a placeholder until the next generation of leaders. I hope one day I can become a great leader and I hope that my passion for the law drives me farther than I can ever imagine. Thank you, Chief Justice Tani, for being such an inspiration in the eyes of young aspiring lawyers who too want to follow in your footsteps.