Marshall Discusses Law, Life Experiences

Margaret H. Marshall, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justice and former vice-president and general counsel for Harvard University, yesterday shared a woman's perspective on life, the legal profession and getting into law school.

"Don't panic [after graduating from college]," she said. "Take time, don't go straight to law school. Take risks," she told an audience of approximately 30 people in Science Center D.

Throughout her speech, Marshall reiterated the theme of the road less traveled, and advocated entering law school only after obtaining experience in other fields.

Marshall grew up in a small town called Newcastle in Natal, South Africa. She attended Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, graduating in 1966. She became the president of the National Union of South African Students, and a fervent advocate of majority rule. However, she insisted that at that time she had no idea that she would become a lawyer, much less a judge.

In 1968, Marshall arrived at Harvard on a scholarship. Planning on earning a Ph.D in art history, she wound up earning an M.A. in education. It was only after that, in 1973, that she went on to Yale Law School, at the age of 29.

"I feel deeply in love with the country, not just Cambridge, but Nebraska, Tennessee, North Dakota...," she said. "At the same time, the South African government decided it would not be a good idea for me to return."

Marshall spoke of her career as a Massachusetts Supreme Court justice with pride, and emphasized the historic role Massachusetts played in shaping the judicial system.

"The notion of the independent judiciary was not invented by the Western world," she said. "It was invented right here in Massachusetts by John Adams."

"Undertake things that are meaningful to you," Marshall advised her audience. "Learn about your own history."

"I wanted to go to law school because I wanted to get back to the basics," she said.

As for getting into law school, she had common sense advice:

"Get good grades and test scores-but of course, you already have those."

"Seriously," she said, "At the end of each semester, you should have at least one professor who knows you well-I don't think it really matters what you major in."

Marshall said that her legal career was inspired by living in the U.S. in the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s.

Marshall also warned her female audience members about the difficulties of juggling a family and a career.

"The reality is that those women who are truly successful work hard at it," she said. "And children are a major clash with it."

On the other hand, Marshall advocated that it was okay to "phase your life."

"Ronald Reagan is my best example for women," she said. "Reagan was an actor first, and then went into politics. You can be a mother, and then become president."

Marshall's speech was made possible by the Houghton Endowment.