State Supreme Court Justice/NFL MVP Apparently Not Good Enough For Twitter

Come the fuck on.

Alan Page is verified in my book.

I firmly believe in my heart and soul that the Twitter blue checkmark process is bullshit. But I know, as a woman journalist at an admittedly niche publication that has struggled to get her Twitter account verified while all of her male counterparts at the same publication get their blue checks, I am not a neutral observer. The process is opaque, constantly changing, and fundamentally subjective. So, I’m not surprised there’s some bullshit going on. But man, this is some bullshit.

You’d think that a former NFL Most Valuable Player would be an easy call for the Twitter gods to verify. A former NFL MVP (the first defensive player to get the award) who’s in both the College Football Hall of Fame (1993) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988) AND is also a state supreme court justice — the first African American justice in Minnesota’s history, no less — who also has a Presidential Medal of Freedom??? Well, that should be a no-brainer.

But, as Alan Page has learned, the Twitter gods are fickle.

I reached out to Kate Baxter-Kauf, partner at Lockridge Grindal who clerked for Justice Page in the 2011-12 term (and a former Jabot podcast guest), about the slight and yeah. She has some things to say:

Justice Page is a truly honorable person and a hometown hero. From his NFL MVP status, to his legal career and his service as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, he represents the best Minnesota has to offer. He is the only Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court to have been elected to that position, was the first African American Justice, and received the most votes of any justice ever to hold that position. While on the Court, he wrote 564 opinions, 154 of them dissents. He was a champion for the rights of ordinary people, and willing to dissent when he perceived that those rights were not being adequately protected – especially for criminal defendants. More than that, though, he is the kindest person I’ve ever worked for and he was a truly fantastic boss. He took time to explain concepts to law clerks, to include us in the decision-making process, and to make sure that everyone in his chambers was focused at all times on serving the people of Minnesota. He always endeavored to write opinions that ordinary non-lawyers could understand, to demystify the legal process, and to make sure that every person who sought redress at the court felt heard. If notability for Twitter status purposes doesn’t include a person of Justice Page’s caliber, it has no meaning and no purpose.

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She went on to discuss Justice Page’s notable charity work as well:

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that more than his legal or football career, Justice Page prized the work that he and his now-deceased wife, Diane Sims Page, have done with the Page Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to students of color to attend college in Minnesota or at his undergraduate alma mater, Notre Dame. They have devoted their lives to addressing employment diversity pipelines in tangible, important ways. The 2021 Justice Gala has both a virtual (on September 16) and in-person component (on September 18, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis), and I know with every fiber of my being that if he had to choose between a Twitter check mark and one more scholarship for one more kid, he’d take the scholarship every day and twice on Sunday. Obviously, he should get both, and anyone who wants to show support for Justice Page would best do so by buying a gala ticket or making a donation.

She concluded by saying, “I honestly think the entire state of Minnesota is rightfully outraged on his behalf.”

Well, let’s add Above the Law to the rightfully outraged on Justice Page’s behalf list.


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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).