When I look back on my journey, it feels like two very different worlds have shaped me: the quiet, hardworking life of farm fields and the often intense, demanding world of the courtroom. At first glance, those two paths may not seem connected, but I’ve found that the values I learned growing up in rural America continue to guide me today as I serve in the legal system. It’s a reminder that our roots matter, and they often shape the way we serve others.
Lessons in Hard Work and Responsibility
Life on the farm isn’t glamorous. It’s early mornings, long days, and a lot of responsibility. Animals don’t wait for weekends or holidays, and crops don’t care if you’re tired. That consistency—showing up no matter what—was one of the most important lessons I carried into my career in law. In the courtroom, just like in the fields, there’s no room for shortcuts. People’s lives and futures depend on the decisions we make, and that kind of responsibility demands both diligence and discipline.
Farm work also taught me about accountability. If you cut corners on the farm, you see the results immediately: unhealthy animals, failed crops, or broken equipment. The same holds true in the justice system. If we don’t treat cases carefully, if we don’t give each person the fairness and respect they deserve, the entire system suffers. That lesson has never left me.
Respect for Community and Service
Growing up in a rural community meant that everybody knew everybody. Your neighbors weren’t just acquaintances; they were partners in daily life. If a barn needed raising, people showed up. If someone fell ill, meals appeared on their doorstep. That sense of community instilled in me the belief that service isn’t optional—it’s part of who we are.
Now, as a member of the legal system, I see my role in much the same way. My responsibility isn’t just to the law; it’s to the community I serve. Each case isn’t just a file or a number. Behind it is a family, a future, and a set of relationships that ripple out into the community. That perspective keeps me grounded in compassion, even when the work gets tough.
Integrity in Both Fields
One of the strongest parallels between farming and justice is integrity. On the farm, integrity meant doing the right thing even when no one was watching. You can’t lie to the land or the animals—they reveal the truth of how you’ve treated them. In law, integrity takes the form of honesty, fairness, and transparency.
I’ve seen firsthand how easy it can be for trust in the justice system to falter, especially in small towns where everyone talks and reputations are fragile. That’s why integrity has to be more than a principle—it has to be a daily practice. Whether it’s explaining a legal decision clearly, treating people with respect regardless of their background, or holding myself accountable to the same standards I expect of others, integrity is the foundation of trust.
Bridging Two Worlds
It’s sometimes surprising to people when I share my farming background. But I see it as a bridge rather than a contrast. On one side, there’s the hard, practical world of agriculture, where success depends on persistence, resourcefulness, and community. On the other side, there’s the equally demanding world of justice, where people look to the court for fairness, accountability, and direction.
The bridge between the two is service. Both roles require you to serve something bigger than yourself. Both demand patience—whether it’s waiting for crops to grow or taking the time to ensure due process is followed. And both require resilience, because setbacks are inevitable, and it’s how you respond that defines your character.
A Call to Stay Rooted
As I reflect on this journey, I often think about how important it is for leaders—whether in law, government, or any other field—to stay connected to their roots. It’s easy to get caught up in titles, procedures, and the pressures of professional life. But when we remember where we came from, we bring a sense of humility and perspective that our communities desperately need.
For me, that grounding comes from the farm. It reminds me that justice, like farming, is about investing in the future. It’s about caring for people today in a way that allows them, and the community, to thrive tomorrow.
Closing Thoughts
My journey from the farm fields to the bench wasn’t a straight line, but it has always been guided by the same principles: hard work, integrity, service, and resilience. These values, born in rural soil, continue to shape the way I view justice and the people it serves.
At the end of the day, whether I’m looking across a courtroom or across a field, the goal is the same: to leave things better than I found them, to serve with honesty, and to help others grow. That, to me, is the heart of both farming and justice.