A Message from Acting Dean Robert Dinerstein Regarding Inauguration
Jan. 15, 2021
Dear WCL Community,
Every four years, our country celebrates the beginning of a new presidential term. Regardless of whether we celebrate the second term of an incumbent president or the first term of a new aspirant to the presidency, the inauguration is an important symbol of continuity of governance and new beginnings. Here in Washington, DC, the celebration takes on added significance, as the pomp and circumstance that typically accompanies the inauguration takes place in our own backyard.
Like so many things this year, we will celebrate a very different inauguration next week. As the pandemic continues to rage on, we experienced last week’s insurrection at the US Capitol and this week’s second impeachment of the incumbent president. Fallout from each of these historic events continues, and will continue for weeks and months to come. The usual festivities and in-person gatherings associated with the inauguration either will be canceled or greatly reduced in size. And, we fervently hope that the riot we observed last week will not be repeated.
But let us take a moment to celebrate the peaceful transition of power that the framers of the Constitution meant for the inauguration to represent. Whatever your political affiliation, we must acknowledge the historic nature of Kamala Harris’s swearing-in as Vice President. For the first time, the vice presidency will be occupied by a woman, a person of color who is both African American and of South Asian American heritage. For a law school founded by women, and committed to the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the swearing-in of Vice President Harris is particularly resonant.
However you wish to acknowledge the inauguration, please do so safely. Just as we have had to become accustomed this year to remote interactions in the classroom, please treat the inauguration as one more event that, this time, you will need to experience virtually. Safety, of course, means compliance with COVID-19 protocols as well as vigilance about your physical and emotional safety.
Best wishes for a peaceful inauguration and for a successful beginning to the new semester.
Robert D. Dinerstein
Acting Dean & Professor of Law