"Law matters because of the effect
it has
on the individuals it touches."
Q. What do you study?
"Study" is the right word, because it means that I still
have a lot to learn. I study deafness and hearing loss, their impact on language
acquisition, and what that all means when deaf and hard of hearing people come
into the legal system. I've been lucky enough to work with many talented individuals
from the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and they have been very generous
with their knowledge.
Why is your work important?
I obviously hope my work has some positive impact
on the quality of justice for deaf and hard of hearing people, not only because
it influences how lawyers and judges deal with deaf people, but because it encourages
more deaf and hard of hearing people to go to law school.
How does the Law School's law-in-action approach influence your research or
your teaching?
For me, law only exists in-action. Law matters because of the
effect it has on the individuals it touches. Every one of those people has a
story and that's where the excitement and the truth can be found. So, when I
write or talk about deafness and due process, I tell stories about a deaf person
who was misunderstood and why, or about one of the brilliant kids at the Wisconsin
School for the Deaf. And when I teach about the Fourth Amendment, I tell stories
about the cop facing a situation on the street or the judge who assesses the
situation from the distance of the bench.
What did you do before you became a law professor?
I was a public defender
in Wisconsin for ten years. It's a title I still wear with pride. Once a public
defender, always a public defender, I guess.
Why did you go to law school?
Honestly, I was one of those political science
majors who sort of fell into law school. But I as soon as I walked into my first
clinical after my first year, I knew I'd made the right choice.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I have an out of control garden.
I'm trying to learn jazz improvisation on the piano. I knit (my Irish aunt taught
me when I was 10), read, and hang out with my husband and friends. And I have
a son in high school. I spend time nagging and worrying.
What's the best thing about your job?
I work for an institution that encourages
us to follow our passions. When I said that I wanted to try a mock trial program
for high school kids at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf, the law school's
reaction was "Great. What can we do to make it happen?" The law school is a
place where energy and innovation rule. I still marvel that they actually pay
me to do this.
If you could choose one person (living or dead) to take to lunch, who would
it be?
Tim Jaech, the former superintendent at the Wisconsin School for the
Deaf. He had an abundance of insight and wisdom and was always happy to share.
Tim was one of the best teachers I've ever had.
What do you like best about living in Madison?
I live in the city, fairly
close to downtown. I can hop on my bike and go to one of our many farmers' markets,
to a movie, or to visit a friend. When I walk my dog at night, I look across
the lake, see the capitol and the Monona Terrace lit up, and I am reminded once
again that Madison is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
Do you have any advice for an incoming 1L?
Take advantage of the wide range
of opportunities the law school has to offer. And of course, get involved with
one, or two, or three of our clinics. Regardless of the kind of law you want
to go into, working in a clinic will teach you valuable lessons about lawyering.
Outside of law school, I recommend that you read at least one novel a semester.
It will keep you in touch with reality.
