I AM WHO I AM!

We received the following: 

Judge Will Thomas made a simple, powerful statement Saturday night at the Hotel Intercontinental. 
Honored by the Miami Chapter of the FACDL with the Justice Kogan award, Thomas stood before a packed and hushed ballroom of lawyers and judges, and without direct reference to his failed nomination to the federal bench, simply, powerfully, and with dignity sated : "I AM WHO I AM."

Judge Kathy Williams, who was Judge Thomas's boss at the Federal Public Defenders Office, gave the introductory speech where she did directly address her disappointment at not being able to speak at his inauguration to the federal bench.  

The evening was a great success. Recognition of the behind the scene work necessary needed to get the FACDL banquet off the ground and a resounding success goes to the incoming president Margot Moss.  But make  no mistake, Will Thomas stole the show. 

Rumpole says: We've had our differences with Judge Thomas. But his life story is remarkable. When you look around and want to really find a "self-made" man, look no further than Will Thomas, who pulled himself up from poverty, a single parent home (his father was killed in an automobile accident when he was a young child), and all of the other obstacles a young man from poverty faces. 

Judge Thomas is sometimes impatient, he sometimes gets frustrated with lawyers, he does not tolerate fools or incompetence lightly. He has shown us, however, that he is a man of conviction. He exemplifies the true definition of a judge: he does what he thinks is right, regardless of the pressures against his decision. He is brave in his convictions, stalwart in the face of criticism and pressure, and handled the political fiasco of his nomination with the dignity befitting the position he was nominated for, and more importantly, the dignity with which he lives his life.  

He is, indeed, who he is. 
And that is a good thing for all of us. 

Have a good week.

See You In Court.