Page 16 - University of Baltimore Law - Fall 2019

Sameer Sidh, continued from page 13
my feet — all are skills I honed in law school.”
Before coming to Howard County, Sidh was chief of staff at Towson University, where he led planning, coordination and project management of the president’s initiatives. Prior to that he was director of the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Citistat.
Sidh is a strong proponent of data- driven governance. “Things work both ways,” he says. “Sometimes data leads you to address issues, and sometimes you see an issue and seek data to verify the validity of that issue.”
LONNIE ROBBINS, J.D. ’86, always had
a thirst for education, partly due to his parents' limited formal education. Growing up in
Snow Hill, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, in the mid ‘60s, he was one of the first African American students to integrate
a previously all-white high school. The youngest of six children, he was the first in his family to go to college.
“I realized early on that knowledge of the law could be very helpful in navigating life," he says.
Robbins has been chief administrative officer for Howard County since 2007 and has served six county executives during his tenure. Prior to that, he worked in the county solicitor’s office from 1989 to 2004, which he credits for his inside knowledge of the people and inner workings of many agencies he now oversees.
“Being behind the scenes is underrated,” says Robbins, 69. “In my opinion, this is where most of the work gets done — building relationships, often across political lines, fostering collaboration, anticipating issues before they become problems, and creative problem solving.”
Ultimately, he says, “Government is only as effective as the people who provide its services.”
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Those who choose to be in public service admit the work is tough, but most echo Ruppersberger’s sentiment that they still feel they can make an important difference. “Our political and governmental processes
are seriously challenged by new technologies that amplify every voice on every issue; by a global economy that can be cold and unforgiving ... by worldwide upheavals in the political, economic and social orders that drive mass migration, and by rapid developments in industry that can wipe out whole factories,”
states Robert Cassilly, J.D. ’88, a Republican state senator representing Harford County’s 34th District.
Like the other General Assembly members interviewed for this article, he has served in his current office for fewer than five years.
Cassilly began his career as an infantry officer, but a career in law was a better fit for his family. He ran for his first post, Bel Air Town Board, at the coaxing of a citizens’ group. He says his connection with people — families, veterans, school children — keeps cynicism at bay.
Jill P. Carter, J.D. ’93
“I’m optimistic that those same people will empower political leaders who can share ideas and develop workable solutions to our common challenges,” he says.
Cassilly also underscores that he didn’t get into governance thinking it would be easy. “The fact is, politics and society have always been a bit brutal,” he
says, recalling the political climate he witnessed as a child, including the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., race riots and the Vietnam war.
Maryland Del. Debra Davis, J.D. ’94, Democrat from Charles County District 28, agrees. “This business has always been ugly, it’s just more visible. And behaving badly has become more acceptable,” she states.
“But everything swings, like a pendulum, and I believe that being cordial and respectful and inclusive will come back,” she continues. Davis still feels she’s where she needs to be and that her voice is being heard. She describes herself as the “grandmother in the room” and says she takes inspiration from new legislators, the next generation of change-makers coming up.
Democratic State Sen. Jill P. Carter, J.D. ’93, of Baltimore City District 41,
is one such change-maker. Though hardly new to governance — she was in
the Maryland House of Delegates from 2003 to 2017 — she’s just one year into
her tenure in the Senate. Carter lived the hard edge of governance, describing her time in the House as “a rude awakening,” where, as the only African American female attorney, she struggled to be heard. She stayed, believing it important
to speak out on issues like police reform and expungement, but ultimately she
PHOTO BY LARRY CANNER