Justice Breyer and the Lost Cause

More than 120 people have clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer during his time at the Supreme Court, and many of them now among the ranks of elite appellate attorneys (Neal Katyal) and law school deans (Stanford, Virginia, Penn). Reuters spoke with some of his clerks for their article, Where Breyer’s Clerks Are Now, From Animal Rescue to Meta and (Lots of) Law Firms. But the standout career path from the article has to be that of Mirah Horowitz, who founded Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in Virginia and has rescued more than 21,000 animals so far.

In her interview, Mirah Horowitz had this to say about Justice Breyer: “He never went into any conference or any oral argument thinking his view was a lost cause.” She also said “Breyer inspired her to ‘get to common ground’ with other people.”

What an inspiring thought, and a great mantra for an attorney! Take the long view, and always believe in the value of your point of view. Losses can be very discouraging in litigation. If the prevailing opinion seems against you, think about getting more creative with your arguments–and your research! Don’t give up, and try to find common ground. A big thanks to Justice Breyer for this thought and to Mirah Horowitz, who is continuing in Justice Breyer’s footsteps–just with animals, not arguments!