The Honorable Judge Franklin D. Burgess A Legend on Two Courts Each month, Chastek Library creates a new display highlighting distinguished alumni, historical events, or legal culture. In February, for Black History Month, Chastek Library’s display recognized the Honorable Franklin D. Burgess. Judge Burgess was an accomplished attorney and a proud Gonzaga alumnus. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after attending Eudora Colored High School. After, he went on to attend Gonzaga University and Gonzaga University School of Law. While here, he was a class officer, student body representative and class president. In 1995, he received the Gonzaga Law School Distinguished Judicial Service Award. Judge Burgess was known for being a legend on two courts. In undergrad, Judge Burgess was a basketball All-American at Gonzaga, leading the nation in scoring in 1961. He is a member of Gonzaga's Basketball Hall of Fame, the state of Washington sports Hall of Fame, the Inla...
Myra Bradwell Opening the Door for Women in Law For March's Women’s History Month, Chastek Library’s display recognized Myra Bradwell. Myra was a publisher, political activist, and supporter of women’s rights. Most notably, she was one of America’s first female lawyers , creating a space for women in the legal field and making it possible for women to pursue law careers and beyond. In 1831, Myra was born in Vermont. Colleges did not allow women to enroll at that time, so she graduated from an all-women monastery in Illinois and became a teacher. Shortly after, she met and married aspiring lawyer James Bradwell . James was studying to be a lawyer, but because there were very few formal law schools at the time, he had to study law on his own. Myra learned the basics of the legal field by studying alongside her husband. She saw her marriage as a “partnership,” in which she used her own legal knowledge to help her husband in his career. In the mid-1850s,...
The Real Dream and Lesser Known MLK Quotes by Sloan Nickel, JD Candidate, Class of 2023 Most people remember Martin Luther King Jr. for his peaceful protests, beautiful sermons about religion and equality, and of course, his dream for what this nation could one day be. However, it would be dismissive to not categorize Dr. King for what he was: a revolutionary inciting quick action. On August 28, 1963, in front of nearly 250,000 people spread across the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Baptist preacher and civil rights leader delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The speech comes with many quote-able moments, but the more sobering statements he made throughout his life often do not get as much attention, though they speak more to what Dr. King believed about America. For example, Dr. King noted no one was excused from working for justice, saying, "Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that...