One of the fundamental pillars of a democratic society with respect to the effective protection of our rights is the impartiality of the judiciary. On April 3, Wisconsin citizens will play an active role in selecting the candidate whose decisions will inspire confidence in the impartiality and integrity of the judiciary as a whole.

These principles call for objectivity, which ideally result in decisions based on relevant facts and applicable law. Many people associate objectivity with indifference and lack of passion. The Wisconsin Supreme Court needs Linda Clifford because her actions will instead remind us that objectivity is deeply seeded in passion and concern demonstrated through strong political and societal commitment.

As president of the Dane County Bar Association, Linda has encouraged lawyers to increase their commitment to pro bono services. She herself has done substantial pro bono work, assisting asylum seekers fleeing from political, ethnic and religious persecution in Iraq, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

Linda Clifford has received widespread bipartisan support, particularly the Democrat-Republican match-up of former Governors Patrick Lucey (D) and Lee Sherman Dreyfus (R) as honorary co-chairs of her campaign. Linda also has experience in a multitude of diverse positions, including her service as assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice, a practicing attorney and chair of the State Bar's Media-Law Relations Committee.

As one can see, Linda Clifford is objective not because she attempts to reason from the position of nobody, but because she understands that she must reason from the position of everybody. Her experience has taught her to determine the best course of action via empathetic understanding of different people.

Although it is agreed that a certain detachment is necessary for objectivity, it must function in a manner that does not drain our court justices of empathy, but helps them to channel their desire to serve others in a way that considers of a wide variety of perspectives. It is clear that Linda Clifford's motivation to become Supreme Court Justice stems not from partisan political advancement, but from her deep passion and concern for people. Vote Linda Clifford for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice on April 3!

Knoblauch is a junior in College of Health Sciences.