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Virginia C apitol C onnections, Winter 2016 7
In 1991 a position in the Virginia House of Representative
opened, and Mims decided to run. One of his greatest motivators in
this decision was Congressman FrankWolf, a man he had worked for
several years prior.
“The memory of working for him [Wolf] was still quite fresh,”
explained Mims. “He was, is, a person who believes that one man or
woman can make a significant difference in the public arena. I recall
from my first campaign that I wanted to create a prepaid tuition plan
in Virginia. I wanted there to be regional transportation authority in
NorthernVirginia. One of the greatest satisfactions that I had was that
I was part of the legislation that created these things.”
Mims began working with the Senate of Virginia several years
later.
“There was an unexpected vacancy that resulted in a special
election. Less than 24 hours to decide if I was going to run or not. I
can honestly say I have no recollection other than it seemed to be the
right thing to do at the time,” Mims said.
“And the greatest challenges of being a legislator?” I asked.
“My own ego and the egos of others,” Mims said. “I tried to pay
particular attention to the people who told me I wasn’t as special as
I might think. That’s a little bit of a smart aleck answer. The elected
office is an ego inflating experience. At some point along the way I
learned that the biggest obstacle to making a difference is my own
ego. I’m not the only person who has that challenge. I think that
negotiating a place where power is wielded really requires taking a
long view and trying to practice having a humble spirit.”
“And how does one do that?” I said.
“I try to pray and have quiet times and meditate to the greatest
extent that I can,” Mims responded. “Those practices have shown
me that one of the significant problems that we face first as humans,
and on a smaller scale as public officials, is placing our own wants
and needs too high. Jesus was asked ‘what is the first and greatest
commandment?’ love God and the second is like it, to love your
neighbor as yourself. If one takes that seriously then humility is the
path to a purpose filled life. It is a daily struggle for any person, and
for a legislator, it is an even greater struggle.”
The interview had been all business from my side up to this point.
I asked questions, but I hadn’t made a connection. I hadn’t shared who
I was or how I interviewed. I was asking and recording and writing.
“I find that meditation brings a greater perspective,” I said. “I
enjoy it very much.”
Mims responded by asking me about my life—who I was and
what I did and how I ended up calling him for this interview. The
stark beginning of the interview softened into something that was
conversational.
“I’m a teacher,” I explained. And my story began pouring out.
My own passion for social justice, the work that I do as an educator
at a public charter in a low-income community. The constant battle
to remember the greater good and the motivation behind my work.
He told me his daughter had done similar work in Baltimore, and
suddenly because he took the moment to know who I was, Justice
Mims became even more human to me.
Several years before his appointment to justice of the Supreme
Court of Virginia, Mims was appointed to the position of Chief
Deputy Attorney General in 2006. In February of 2009, the then-
Attorney General Bob McDonnell resigned in order to run for
governor. Mims was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to
complete McDonnell’s term. Mims did not run for reelection.
I asked him about becoming a justice for the Supreme Court
of Virginia, and he told me about his feeling of not being qualified
when the idea was presented. The first vacancy was in 2007—a
friend encouraged him to place his name forward—Mims said that he
hadn’t practiced law full time since 1991.
“I eventually realized that the worst thing that could happen was
that I was not chosen.” said Mims. “And I was not chosen, but it got
me thinking that I had a set of experiences that might be a benefit. I
was not appointed the first time there was a vacancy but three years
later I was. It was not a stop along the career path that I would have
expected but it certainly has been an honor to serve.”
Mims continued to place an emphasis on the importance of
justice and service. He shared that he led a book discussion on Tim
Keller’s book, Generous Justice , and said that he continually tries
through his talks and his writings “to advance that concept of justice
that will both be thought-provoking and inspiring for those who are
in public life.”
Mims also is a contributor on the Richmond Times-Dispatch
column, “Faith and Values.”
We ended the conversation with my planning to buy a copy
of Generous Justice and a sincere moment of gratitude. Gratitude
that no one had burst into the room and interrupted the interview.
Gratitude for Justice Mims’ taking a moment to ask me about my life
because of the perspective it had provided me. And gratitude for his
honest reflection on the struggle to overcome pride in order to create
a more fair and just world.
Lydia Freeman is a graduate of Bluefield College and former Intern
at David Bailey Associates. Currently Teach for America fifth grade
teacher in Northampton County, NC.
Hugh A. Joyce
President
cell: (804) 305-9595
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Richmond, VA 23230
o ce: (804) 358-9333
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