Congressman James E. Clyburn Reflects on the Value of Public Service at Georgetown Law
February 27, 2025
Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) visited Georgetown Law on Feb. 24 to discuss the importance of public service and his life’s career in government, including more than 30 years representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
In a wide-ranging conversation and question-and-answer session hosted by Georgetown Law’s Office of Experiential Education, Clyburn reflected on his decades of experience in Congress and earlier civil rights activism, including the pivotal 1960 meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that galvanized his commitment to public service.
“[Enhancing] the opportunities for our children and grandchildren to fulfill their dreams and aspirations — that’s what public service is all about,” he said.
“This is a time in which the challenges to public service are more profound than we’ve ever seen,” said Dean William M. Treanor in his opening remarks, noting Georgetown Law’s longstanding commitment to public service as grounded in the Jesuit value of educating people for others. “It’s a time in which we can draw inspiration from great leaders.”
Clyburn, who chairs the Democratic Faith Working Group and was the first African American to serve multiple terms as majority whip (having served in the role from 2019 to 2022 and 2007 to 2010), also emphasized the importance of bipartisan collaboration among elected officials working to serve the public interest.
“If the distance between me and an opponent on any issue is five steps, I don’t mind taking three of them,” he said.
‘Do justice, be merciful’
Students and community members gathered to listen in the newly renovated Hart Auditorium.
Clyburn also reflected on the state of partisan politics today, including the challenges posed by periods of political polarization, and offered advice to current students interested in pursuing public service.
“Build trust, stay humble, do justice, be merciful,” he advised. “The rest will take care of itself.”
For RISE fellow and first-year student Eyram Gbeddy, L’27, that guidance made an impact. “To hear that such an experienced person still has faith in our systems is heartwarming,” he said, noting that he hopes to pursue public service after graduation and particularly appreciated the Congressman’s emphasis on the importance of bipartisanship.
“One thing that really stuck with me was Clyburn’s statement that politics is a science in the classroom but an art in practice,” he said. “Politics is ultimately the art of understanding others, not just on policy grounds but on personal grounds. I’ll be sure to carry this lesson with me after graduation.”