He carries the lessons passed down by
his grandparents with him each day. I want to refer to a writing he just submitted to a leading
newspaper. Writing recently about their survival in Auschwitz and then
immigrating to the United States, he recalled that his grandfather had
``the uncommon gift of being able to see the light of human generosity
in the midst of near-total darkness.''
He wrote that his grandparents embraced ``a message of optimism,
intended to ensure that their children and grandchildren were able to
lead a life free from the atrocities that they had witnessed.''
Justice Stras has an impeccable reputation in the Minnesota legal
community. His former colleagues at the University of Minnesota Law School
describe him as a person who ``engaged in debate respectfully,
listening to opposing ideas while backing up his own views with facts
and arguments'' and who ``wanted our students to be exposed to a wide
range of beliefs.''
Another group of colleagues of Justice Stras from his days in private
practice describe this justice as the type of attorney who ``never
talked down to people'' and ``there was never any hint that he felt
himself superior to anyone.'' Instead, Justice Stras ``listened to
others' views, and worked to find an approach to legal problems that
was both effective and acceptable to everyone on the team.'' They also
note in that letter his dedication to mentoring young lawyers. Despite these accomplishments and accolades, one Senator has withheld
his blue slip.
Keywords matched
immigrating