TSN: What made you want to run for the judge seat?
AL: “The number one reason is I think it’s a really high form of community service; number two is as a lawyer who’s practiced in court, I realize the really profound impact the judge has on the whole experience … and the third reason is probably my status as a parent of the age of most of the defendants here, and I’m hoping I can make a difference.”

TSN: What is your approach to the East Lansing court, which is unique in that a majority of its defendants are students or first-time offenders?
AL: “I know that good kids sometimes make a decision that sets them up in 54-B District Court, and I have talked to MSU students who have had job offers revoked because of a criminal record. I would like to fashion alternative remedies that would recognize these students are going forward to grad school, to jobs, to professional life — (but) that criminal record could be something that could prevent them from making important contributions to society.”

TSN: How would you like to get students more involved and educated about the court system?
AL: “One of the initiatives I’d like to do is actually hold the court on campus once a semester and have students be able to see the process from the initial stage of charges all the way to sentencing. Grand River (Avenue) separates the campus from the city, and sometimes it seems like a wall. I’d like to make it more of a bridge.”

TSN: If elected, what will be biggest change from being a lawyer to being a judge?
AL: “I don’t think it’ll be hugely different from what I’ve done because I’ve been in courtrooms; I’ll just be at the bench instead of the bar.… I think what will change is I will feel a tremendous responsibility to get it right all the time and cut through the arguments on both sides.”

TSN: If you had a day to do anything you wanted, and money was of no consequence, how would you spend your day?
AL: “If I had 24 hours, I would either go to the world’s great art museums — there are a couple I haven’t seen that I really want to see, like the Hermitage in Russia — or I would go to the beach with a stack of good books. And the latter one, after this busy campaign season, sounds especially appealing to me right now.”