Walking With Justice: Uncommon Lessons from One of Life's Greatest Mentors

by Mollie Marti

Judge's life stands as a reminder that each day we write our eulogy. We continue shaping our legacy until our final day. It is the choices we make in the little things, when no one is watching, that set our course. We can choose good or evil, love or hatred, generosity or selfishness. Fresh out of law school, Mollie Marti moved across the country to clerk for Judge Max Rosenn of the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She went to learn the law. His lessons transformed her life. As one of the most frequently cited judges in American history, Judge Rosenn's classroom presented a demanding work load, rigorous intellectual challenges, and a continuous grappling with ethical issues. It also brought a passionate pursuit of justice. It was a place where a leader's true value was defined not by personal achievements but by the compassion and healing he or she brought to humanity. In this thoughtful and inspiring portrait of a man devoted to serving others, Marti shares how she lost her way when she left her mentor's side, and how the ageless wisdom of his spiritual and professional teachings gave her a second chance to maneuver the busyness of life. In returning to Judge's lessons and guidance on how to live, you walk a path of self discovery with Marti that that will infuse your life with new meaning. An emotionally rich recount of a wise mentor's unique philosophy, Walking with Justice is a spiritually nourishing testament to living intentionally.

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Mollie Marti is a psychologist, lawyer, and adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Iowa. She speaks around the globe on leadership resilience, servant mentorship, life design, and business ethics.

Dr. Marti brings years of experience in peak performance coaching with a prestigious list of clients, including Olympians and business elites, to her work mentoring leaders to thrive and serve.

Inspired by the greatest public servant she's known, Judge Max Rosenn, she founded the nonprofit Community Resiliency Project to help communities recover from crises and grow their capacity to handle challenges.

Mollie lives on a scenic apple orchard in northeast Iowa with her husband, three kids, and large family of pets. Visit her at http://www.drmollie.com.

Reviews

[Barry Frangipane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story of her mentor, Dr Mollie Marti masterfully weaves lessons for a fulfilling life. The reader, thinking he or she is enjoying a relaxing story about someone who shaped the author's life, suddenly realizes the story isn't about the judge at all - it's about all of us, and what we could become. This book is a great read that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Early in the first chapter, I found myself grabbing a pen, to scribe one of the memorable quotes to place by my desk as a source of inspiration. Halfway through the book, my notepad full, I abandoned the idea and decided to just store the entire book on my desk for reference.

Mollie Marti has the ability to draw us in, to make us feel at home in her stories. And through her, the judge has held up a standard to which we can all work to emulate, on our own walk with justice.

Barry Frangipane, Author - The Venice Experiment

Disclosure: I received Walking with Justice by Dr. Mollie Marti free from Dr. Mollie Marti. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation, not even a free lunch. The opinions I have expressed are my own (although my wife Debbie frequently plays a part in those opinions). I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." And also because judge would have felt that it was the right thing to do.

[Donna Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always believed things happen for a reason, good or bad. When I won the book, Walking With Justice from the Goodreads First Reads program I thought it will be a nice read by someone who feels like their mentor was amazing and maybe a lot about the law. Instead I read a book that made me want to be a better person. Dr. Marti gives Judge Max Rosenn to us, lifts him from the pages of a book and makes you feel his goodness, his honour, his compassion, his honesty, and his justice. It flows through the pages and niggles at your mind, tugs at your heart and prods you forward. I recently lost my Dad and I believe that he and the Judge had something in common, they were true gentlemen, men who took care of their families and others, never hurt anyone, and always tried to do the right thing. I have always admired Judges and lawyers who do their jobs with integrity and follow the path of justice. How do they do it? How do they put aside personal feelings and beliefs to do the right thing? My understanding is that they believe in truth, in justice and in honour. These words are tossed around a lot these days and not as many people mean them as they used to. It is heartening to believe some people still do. These people should be looked up to instead of people who lie, cheat, and worse. This book made me want to do better, be better and I just want to thank Dr. Marti for sharing her memories, words, feelings, and most of all, her friend with us. I needed this book right now.

[Jeannie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Max Rosenn was among the very few who taught what it is like to be a just and compassionate human being. He was patient, kind, meticulous and always ready to listen with an open heart and a sharp mind filled with wisdom. He was a Judge, a teacher, a diplomat who respected his position of power as a public servant.

He was also a family man and a mentor who inspired others with great admiration. His student shares him in a way that the reader will never forget. If you’re like me, by the end of this book, you’ll find yourself willingly and gratefully trying to emulate and do your utmost best to live up his dedication and trustworthy values.

This is a wonderful book written by a farm girl who became a psychologist, lawyer and Professor of Psychology at the University of Iowa who speaks around the globe. The author's heartwarming tribute to a very extraordinary man gives readers a rare insight into compassion and wisdom. We’re taught in the best way possible -- without even knowing we are learning.

I was pleasantly surprised to find within this story that Dr. Mollie and I have something in common: both of us had a near-death experience that changed our lives. The author is an outstanding, exceptional and loving individual who lets the presence of a great person live on in this extraordinary novel, Walking with Justice. I highly recommend reading this enchanting book. I believe your life will be changed forever and all for the better..

Jeannie Walker - Award Winning Author of "Fighting the Devil" - A True Story of Consuming Passion, Deadly Poison, and Murder

[Caroline Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Rosenn was clearly a remarkable man whose legacy lives on in all who knew him. Thanks to Mollie Martie, many many more of us will benefit from his wisdom, philosophy and teachings. This book is as much a tribute to its author as its subject. Beautifully written, it's a wonderful example of the Buddhist Proverb, "When the student is ready, the master appears."

Walking with Justice challenges each of us to step up and put whatever pieces of Judge's wisdom inspire us into action to live our best lives.

[Jen Rothmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earlier today I hopped onto my new treadmill with my Kindle in hand. I needed to get in some exercise, but I also needed to finish Dr. Mollie Marti’s book Walking with Justice. After a few moments, it hit me (Walking with Justice) and I got a chuckle. It was a much needed chuckle because the thoughts Dr. Mollie were provoking as she discussed her mentor, Judge Max Rosenn, were intense.

Walking with Justice is a book describing Judge Rosenn’s philosophy on life, how he lived his life, and those he impacted through the lens of Dr. Mollie’s experiences with him and interviews with others. Dr. Mollie was one of Judge Rosenn’s law clerks at an early point of her life and he grew to become her greatest mentor. By the end, this book becomes a how-to manual for finding the path to walk in order to be the person that I ultimately want to be and the person that I think most people should strive to be. As Bob Burg stated it in the foreword, “I would go so far as to say that Dr. Mollie has written a timeless handbook for being human” (pg. xii).

So much of Walking with Justice is quotable (I’ve included a short list below). So much of it defines my own values and beliefs. I am left, after finishing the book, with this intense sadness that I will never get the chance to know Judge Rosenn. I am glad, though, that Dr. Mollie did and that she has gone on to share with all of us his lessons about life. Things such as:

“He taught me not to seek the truth, but the truth of the case” (pg. 5).
“Judge took the time to look for the best in others [...] He affirmed people” (pg. 66).
“Watching my mentor continue to evolve until the day he died, I learned that our lives gain strength when we examine our regrets and take action to rectify them to become more of the person we seek to be” (pg. 93).

You do have to be “in the moment” to appreciate the book, which Dr. Mollie herself describes on page 176 of Walking with Justice when she discusses how sometimes words seem trite, but sometimes those same words will instead turn your life inside out. Some of the lessons in Walking with Justice will seem trite or like common sense. However, I often find that I need to be reminded of common sense when things get topsy turvy and I can’t find my way right-side up.

The section that I most enjoyed was on enjoying the silence of a day, taking part in that silence, and slowing down your thoughts and actions. Being contemplative and truly understanding a situation – or at least attempting. This was discussed several times throughout Dr. Mollie’s book in various ways. Our society has become so focused on achieving everything as quickly as possible that I think many people are burnt out before they even hit thirty. Slowing down, appreciating, contemplating, pondering. Those words put me in a place of relaxation. So did Dr. Mollie’s.

Like OnStar radio adverts and military homecoming celebrations, Walking with Justice caused me to tear up. I cried several times – when Dr. Mollie described Tillie and the end of her life, when Dr. Mollie left the Judge, and when Dr. Mollie talks about his funeral. It touched my heart to know that there was a man that someone found so profoundly good and interesting and necessary to their life. I have hopes that someday I will impact someone’s life to the better as Judge did for Dr. Mollie.

I do know one thing, Dr. Mollie. “Other lives will be better for my having been mentored by you” (pg. 12) is incredibly true. Other lives are better because Judge mentored you.

Thank you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Walking with Justice by Dr. Mollie Marti free from Dr. Mollie Marti. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. The opinions I have expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Waven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a sweet memorial to an uncommon man who shaped people, places, laws, and lives. Justice Max Rosenn entered law during the Great Depression and rose to the position of federal judge in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, where he offered competent and practical decisions and opinions until age 96. The author breaks Rosenn's long and admirable life into quick, manageable glimpses through a frame of memories and experiences, each chapter headed by part of Rosenn's eulogy and ended with a lesson imparted from the mentor.

And while it is sweet, and well-meaning, and I am sure very heartfelt, at times it is too much. Max Rosenn becomes a caricature in the pages, a man seemingly too good to be true, all but divine, ready for sainthood, or maybe even the second coming ... except that he's Jewish. I waited for his flaws to be exposed but the longer they failed to materialize - and none did except one still almost-angelic aside about his limited displays of affection - the more I lost sight of the man. The portrait was simply too flattering. I can appreciate the urge to show the best of him, especially since the author was a close friend, but without faults - whether or not they are faced and overcome - it is harder to relate to Rosenn. He seems less real and his lessons deteriorate toward the typical self-improvement notes. There is also an overtone - perhaps unintentional - of spiritualism with strong Judeo-Christian leanings. Part of it is spent all but worshipping Rosenn, but part of it is also spent directly referencing religion, God, and "the unseen." The result can be a bit preachy and, combined with the caricature effect, sometimes renders the book a sort of semi-cheesy spiritual self-help guide. And perhaps the most unfortunate of my criticisms is that I found the "uncommon lessons" pretty common after all.

Despite my censure above, it was a pleasant enough read. I had only hoped for more. What I would really enjoy, I think, would be Ms. Marti taking on the project of a full biography of Max Rosenn. He was an interesting man who saw and experienced many things, too much of which could not be included in this book.

[Nahree · Rating 3 out of 5]

The memoir begins with a a cross country drive to Judge Max Rosenn's funeral ceremony, where Mollie starts to reminisce on her life-changing mentorship with Judge. Though she and her husband were not able to make it to the service on time, Judge's family was kind enough to describe the ceremony and excerpts of the eulogies. From that point on, each chapter had a similar layout: a part of the eulogy, which transitions into a personal anecdote that relates to that part of the eulogy, and a lesson Mollie walked away with from that instance. Some of the lessons were worded a little cheesily, like it would've been inscribed inside a Dove chocolate wrapper: "Every person is a living treasure box. Listening holds the key."

But the lessons she learned from Judge Rosenn were heartfelt nonetheless:
"Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself in any way; it means not thinking about yourself at all. It flows not from your ego but from your heartfelt gratitude for all the gifts you've been given and the opportunity to use them in the service of others. True humility is not about bringing yourself down. It is about reflecting back to others how they have enlarged you."

I loved the way Mollie described her relationship with Judge Rosenn - he was such a jovial, honest, and kind mentor to her, working and teaching her about work, faith, and ethics all the way to the end. However, he was "too good", if there's such a thing. I wished she would have gone into describing some of his more difficult times, and instances where he struggled to balance Biblical teachings, socially perceived notions of right and wrong, and personal ethics when they clashed. I wanted to read about times where he actually got angry or frustrated with justice. Times where justice has failed and disappointed him. You see none of that; only the rosy memories. It was a sweet memoir, but I felt like these lessons were from "one of Mollie's greatest mentors" and not "one of Life's greatest mentors".

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first saw the title of this book , I thought hmmm it's going to be another memoir about somebody's life and to do with the trials and tribulations that they have been through, maybe something to do with getting justice etc. However, Walking with Justice did have a theme of that running through as it tells us about Dr.Molli Marti and her experience with working in the Justice field but what stood this book out from the rest was that it contained words of advice , lessons that we can all attune to our lives - it appealed to us that no matter what situation we are in , we can read Walking with Justice and be like - OMG I can do that.
Judge’s life stands as a reminder that each day we write our eulogy. We continue shaping our legacy until our final day. It is the choices we make in the little things, when no one is watching, that set our course. We can choose good or evil, love or hatred, generosity or selfishness.
Marti shares how she lost her way when she left her mentor’s side, and how the ageless wisdom of his spiritual and professional teachings gave her a second chance to maneuver the busyness of life. In returning to Judge’s lessons and guidance on how to live, you walk a path of self discovery with Marti that that will infuse your life with new meaning.An emotionally rich recount of a wise mentor’s unique philosophy, Walking with Justice is a spiritually nourishing testament to living intentionally.
Though, this book shares with us the trials and tribulations that Dr. Mollie Marti went through from the transistion of her mentor to the big wide world , we can adapt this knowledge to any mentor that we may come across along our paths whether it be in careers, education ,life or love.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walking with Justice is a compilation of life lessons the author took away for her interactions with her mentor Judge Rosen. It is filled with themes of how to be a just person who uses compassion and listening as guiding principles. I would have liked to hear more about how the Judge used his perspective in specific cases, and times when it was a struggle to know exactly what the "just" decision should be. I feel it was more of a "tribute" that the author felt she had to write to honor her mentor than something that made me understand the challenges of living by a strong moral compass. There were no downsides to the mentor -- but wasn't he human? It would have been good to hear about his humanity, too.

[Felicia Slattery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, I envy Dr. Mollie Marti. She was lucky enough to have one of greatest mentors that anyone could have, Justice Max Rosen. If you don't know Justice Rosen, you will feel like you do after you read this book, in which Dr. Mollie shares the lessons she learned from this remarkable man. As I read, I found myself smiling and nodding, recognizing the wisdome of Judge Rosen and ways that I could apply his lessons to my own life. In short, if you want more peace in your life, read "Walking with Justice;" with Dr. Mollie's warm and accessible style, you can easily adapt the lessons she learned from her mentor and begin your own journey toward a more satisfying life.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a good read aboutan awsome man. It is great to know that men like that who touch lives and inspire the best out of all he meet. I wish i would of had the pleasure of meeting such a man and in away i think i did through this book. good life lessons and it is easy to read.

[Marty Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book sitting in a Barnes & Noble, right before meeting the author Dr. Mollie Marti. I smiled and cried in the coffee shop! This book will reach you at an emotional level. Dr. Marti is an incredible writer and the her subject is so authenic! This is an unusually powerful piece of work!

[Diane Wilkes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needs more stories about Judge Rosenn; it is more adjectival that anecdotal. Disappointing.