The Vulnerable: Lessons From Death Row Inmates By David R. Dow

Advocating for the Vulnerable: Lessons from Two Powerful TED Talks

Law and Society has been a very informative class and has greatly enriched my understanding of the American justice system. However, one particular section of the course stands out in my mind as the most potent example of how dysfunctional the American justice system can be. David R. Dow — Lessons from Death Row Inmates. In his Ted talk Dow argues that the death penalty system in the US is deeply flawed and that it fails to address the underlying issues that lead people to commit crimes. He suggests that we need to focus more on prevention and rehabilitation rather than punishment alone.

During Dow’s interactions with death row inmates, Dow learns that 8 out of 10 of them

I think remembering to follow Dow’s example of practicing empathy and treating the accused with dignity will be helpful in this role, by allowing me to focus on outcomes that both serve justice and allow the rehabilitation of those found guilty of crimes.

The same way Dow’s Ted Talk struck a chord with me, Kimberley Motley’s Ted Talk also stood out as a potent example of how the law could work for those most vulnerable in society but often doesn’t. Kimberley used her knowledge, privilege and expertise to defend marginalized communities with an emphasis on women in Afghanistan. By using the Afghan tribal council “Jirga” to find alternative solutions to a dispute over a debt that would’ve otherwise been settled with an illegal child marriage. I found Motley’s work to be a source of inspiration as she has obviously found a cause that she completely believes in, and I hope to find a career that allows me the ability to use the law in a way where I can effect change in a positive way much like Kimberley Motley has been able to. Kimberly sought out to protect the human rights of women even at her own detriment. She told stories of being detained, accused of running a brothel and even having a grenade thrown into her office all because Kimberly recogmizes that the struggles of all marginalized peoples are interconnected and that injustice anywher is a threat to justice everywhere. She expresses this in her mantra that she repeats throughout her Ted Talk “by protecting them we protect