In the new issue of GW Magazine, read the unique stories of five GW Law alumni who have made their mark in history; one alumnus spent the first half of his life around the U.S. presidency—he lived in the White House while attending law school at GW—and some of the most powerful and influential people of the 20th century; and an alumna spoke about her experience after being struck by lightning, the aftermath, and her meeting with the Dalai Lama. The latest issue is devoted to the notion of "power" and the myriad ways people encounter it. Read their stories below.
"Under Oath"
Sarah T. Hughes, LLB '22, is the only woman ever to have sworn in a U.S. president. Swearing in President Johnson, Ms. Hughes said in a 1969 interview, "was just another job that had to be done." She never understood "why there's so much to-do about it." Read more
"Outside the Law"
Bruce Mencher, JD '60, spent four decades as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. But the greatest power, in his experience, wasn't always the kind he wielded in the courtroom. "I tried to bring as much wisdom as I could to it, and whatever ability I had—knowledge, experience, civility—to do the best I could," he said. Read more
"The Sphere of Influence"
David Eisenhower, JD '76, spent his formative years in the orbit of two presidents: his grandfather and his father-in-law. He has authored two books about his grandfather and has studied power and those who wield it. In January, Mr. Eisenhowerhe spoke about power and what he's learned living so close to it. Read more
"A View from the Bottom of Capitol Hill"
In an institution that runs on political clout, Pedro Pierluisi, JD '84, entered with precious little—not even a vote to cast—and 3.5 million Puerto Ricans counting on him. Of the 441 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, only six do not have the right to vote. For eight years, until January 2017, Mr. Pierluisi was one of them. Read more
"The Length of a Flash"
Lysa Puma, JD '99, was hit by a thunderbolt at the Tibetan Freedom Concert on June 13, 1998. After being struck, Ms. Puma met the Dalai Lama in a Washington, D.C., hotel. Twenty years later, the plot of that meeting is lost to time, life, and Ms. Puma's fritzing hippocampus, just like the strike itself. Read more