visiting professor at pepperdine university law school out here and an espn legal analyst. and steve lopez, as if to prove my point, new york times this morning, gay couples cheer ruling on marriage from provincetown, massachusetts. so when the media described this ruling as a historic or a landmark ruling as opposed to controversial or divisive as in the case of the arizona immigration law, is there kind of a wink and a nod that we think this is generally a good thing? i don t think anybody knew what to expect with this decision. i didn t know what was going to happen. and i think that we re just responding to the reaction to it. this is a time i think when you want to hear from the victors. but there have been both sides represented. it s i think a good ruling. but this story will go on for years. clearly, more appeals to come. and roger cossack, regardless of what you think of the ruling, i think in 20 years gay marriage will be widely accepted because of the views of the yo
who take up that function do a service to the system. joining me now is a co-signatory of that letter, former federal judge ken starr, former independent counsel and solicitor general who currently serves as dean of pepperdine university law school. dean starr, the notion that anyone who defended an accused terrorist or as mark tyson today says in the washington post, anyone who defended drug dealers or mobsters, should not be allowed to work as prosecutors, let alone be in the national security apparatus, it has a certain obvious appeal to it. what do you teach in law school at pepperdine law school about that issue? well, lawrence, it s very important for lawyers to be willing to take on unpopular causes to make sure that power is checked, that there are, in fact, arguments being advanced on behalf of those who have been subjected to governmental power.
aggressive defense bar, those who take up that function do a service to the system. joining me now is a co-signatory of that letter, former federal judge ken starr, former independent counsel and solicitor general who currently serves as dean of pepperdine university law school. dean starr, the notion that anyone who defended an accused terrorist or as mark tyson today says in the washington post , anyone who defended drug dealers or mobsters, should not be allowed to work as prosecutors, let alone be in the national security apparatus, it has a certain obvious appeal to it. what do you teach in law school at pepperdine law school about that issue? well, lawrence, it s very important for lawyers to be willing to take on unpopular causes to make sure that power is checked, that there are, in fact, arguments being advanced
a matter of conscience. it wasn t just his conscience. it was the conscience of a profession, a great profession, that john adams embodied, thurgood marshall embodied, and many lawyers day in and day out embody by being willing to stand up to the crowd and saying, no. we stand for the justice system and that everyone has his or her right to representation. and john roberts by the way our chief justice spoke eloquently to this in his own confirmation hearing when questions would be raised about well you represented this client or you represented that client. and part of our traditions that john roberts reminded the senate, reminded the country, is that you do not impute the cause of the client to the lawyer who is called upon to make sure that that client s rights are being protected. i see the in the background shot there, pepperdine university, you re
that small southern town? absolutely not. he became a pariah in his own community. but he explained to his children, he explained to his kids i ve got to do this as matter of conscience. it wasn t just his conscience. it was the conscience of a profession, a great profession, that john adams embodied, thurgood marshall embodied, and many lawyers day in and day out embody by being willing to stand up to the crowd and saying, no. we stand for the justice system and that everyone has his or her right to representation. and john roberts by the way our chief justice spoke eloquently to this in his own confirmation hearing when questions would be raised about well you represented this client or you represented that client. and part of our traditions that john roberts reminded the senate, reminded the country, is that you do not impute the cause of the client to the lawyer who is called upon to make sure that that client s rights are being protected. i see the in the background shot there