CBA Record July-August 2025

I’ve gone through life’s ups and downs, I’ve always made it a point to remind myself of Dr. Seuss’s simple life lessons: keep pushing forward even if it feels hard, never stop trying new things, and encourage and support those around you—particularly those you encounter in The Waiting Place—wherever you can. In many ways, we as legal professionals could stand to apply these lessons more in our everyday practice, especially as we face new threats to democracy and to our justice system. Keep push ing forward and moving mountains; stand up for what is right; and fight against injustice, even if it seems bleak or impossible. Never stop learning or trying out new and inventive ways to defend the rule of law and to advocate for those without a voice. Always be the person that others—especially those who are marginalized and who are stuck in their own Waiting Place—can turn to for help without question or fear of judgment. Our pro fession needs courage, resilience, and community now more than ever. Will you answer the call?

As I close my first Editor’s Briefcase, I want to thank Justice Michael B. Hyman for his years of unwavering service to the CBA Record and the Editorial Board. He inspires these principles in countless others and embodies every one of them, both in his practice and in life. I am honored that he asked me to carry the torch into a new era. I hope to continue his mission to create a space where diverse viewpoints are always welcomed and where legal professionals from all walks of life can come to find com munity and encourage each other to be the best versions of them selves they can be. I am excited for what is to come, and I hope you’ll join me to see what Great Places the Record will go to next.

Nikki Marcotte is an associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where they focus their practice primarily on complex commercial litigation and government investigations.

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