Gary Locke (’75), Former US Ambassador to China, Speaks at BU Law
Mr. Locke spoke to students and faculty about his political career and his passion for the law.
For former US Ambassador to China Gary Locke (’75), his time at Boston University School of Law gave him the motivation to make a change in society. Locke, who spoke at BU Law Wednesday, April 13 to a full room of students and faculty, discussed his career as the former governor of Washington state, county executive, secretary of commerce, and the American ambassador to China.
“I really enjoyed my career here at the law school. It taught me how to write,” said Locke. “It gave me a mindset for legal analysis and critical thinking which has served me well throughout my career.”
As former governor of Washington state (the first Chinese American to be elected governor in United States history and the first Asian American governor on the mainland), US secretary of commerce, and most recently as America’s envoy to China, Locke has been a leader in the areas of education, employment, trade, health care, human rights, immigration reform, privacy, and the environment. The BU Law alum’s speech highlighted moments throughout his extensive career in politics.
“I never planned or contemplated a career in politics. I thought after law school that I’d join the prosecutor’s office,” said Locke. “I knew nothing about the political system. I didn’t even know how you were supposed to run for the state legislator.”
Yet, Locke’s passion for the law enabled him to enact change through politics. His tenure as governor of Washington saw the appointment of sixty judges in total, with over half being women and twenty-five percent of color—the most diverse cabinet in state history. During his time in office, Washington was ranked as one of the four best-managed states in America.
“I believe in government service,” Locke said. “We need government service in order to have an orderly society.”
Locke discussed his goal of reforming the government mindset in order to bring about more experimentation and remove the stigma of fear associated with it. Inefficiency in government, as Locke explained, stems from fear of change.
“We purposely set goals so high that they couldn’t be reached. Why? Because we wanted to send a message that if you try hard and you didn’t make it, we still value your effort. No one is perfect. Perfection is not realistic.” said Locke.
In front of aspiring lawyers, accomplished faculty, and Dean Maureen O’Rourke, Locke credited his political success to his passion for the law.
“We need law to govern our society and provide an outlet for people who have grievances,” said Locke. “It’s basic fairness and transparency in rule of law that really enables the little guys to take on the big guys and have their grievances heard—and that’s what separates us from other countries. The world needs more people trained in the law who are passionate about the law.”