"
If a job title makes you feel important, then you'd better take a hard look in the mirror.
–
Steven I. Platt
, author
Having served 30 years on the bench in the Maryland court system,
is a name synonymous with integrity, equity, and dignity. By the same token, he is a man with a contagious sense of humor, curated with a sharp wit. Inescapably intertwined with some of history's most pivotal events, the author has been aptly dubbed "the Forest Gump of politics." Capturing his fascinating life, interspersed with well-known historical figures, the author shares his adventures in
Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench
.
Lessons Lived
serves as a historical account of the growth and transformation of Maryland politics and its judiciary over a 40-year period.
In his memoir, Judge Platt shares not only very personal aspects of his life, but also priceless glimpses into the more private moments of some of history's most notable players. Having worked on numerous political campaigns as a young man, particularly Robert F. Kennedy's (RFK) campaign for president, he recalls it fondly as "working for stuff you believe in and having fun doing it."
The author retired in 2007 after an illustrious 30-year career as a jurist in Prince George's County, Maryland. He then founded The Platt Group, which provides mediation, arbitration, and neutral case evaluation of complex civil litigation. He continues to participate as a jurist in "senior judge" status, which allows him to be recalled to hear cases.