Testimonials
“For anyone who has an even passing interest in how judges gain their experience before they take the bench, Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench is a treasure trove of wonderful information and stories! Judge Platt’s storytelling in this memoir makes you feel like you’re having a conversation with him in the family room of his home. It’s warm and undeniably interesting, and you leave truly feeling enriched for having read it. I had the pleasure of appearing before Judge Platt many times, and his memoir superbly captures his self-deprecating, comical, yet always insightful and intelligent way of looking at a situation and rendering a meaningful solution. I highly recommend it!”
“Having had the pleasure of appearing before Judge Platt and becoming his friend once he retired, he is an engaging storyteller. Inasmuch as this story is his own, he tells it in his own captivating and enthralling manner. His war time exploits in the ‘Battle of College Park’ truly capture the spirit of the National Guard in the Vietnam War era. Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench is a worthy read.”
“Judge Platt has written a book not just about a great life in law and politics, but how law and politics have changed profoundly in our lifetime. Lessons Lived and Learned is insightful, fun, and full of important history. Anyone who cares about politics or our legal system should read this.”
“It is not enough to describe Judge Platt as having an excellent mind, sound judgment, compassion, a keen sense of justice, and a compelling sense of humor. Nor is it adequate to call him scholarly or loyal, or possessed of the highest integrity and discretion. He is all of this. The key to understanding him is to know that at every moment he is gathering information of every kind to understand what individuals and groups have done, are doing, will do and why. This level of curiosity and analysis has imbued him with the wisdom that made him an effective politician, a great judge and a masterful, effective mediator. It also makes him a wonderful and compelling storyteller as you will see when you read his memoir. I am proud of him and grateful that we are friends.”
“Judge Steve Platt is a unique combination—historian, jurist, commentator, scholar, politician, teacher, and mediator. It is that last skill that I appreciate most. He settled every single case he mediated for me. All of his skills, and his rich life, are reflected in Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench.”
“In his characteristically inspiring and entertaining way, Judge Platt shares the story of his remarkable life and accomplishments. From humble beginnings, but imbued with the awareness that he had something special to offer the world, Judge Platt forged an impactful life and career that ranged from his start as a young and energetic operative in Maryland’s O’Malley-Hoyer political machine of the 1970s and 1980s to become an esteemed practicing lawyer, a distinguished judge in three levels of Maryland’s court system, and ultimately a highly respected and sought-after mediator/arbitrator of legal and business disputes. Could anyone have predicted that this grandson of a Jewish immigrant from Russia who came to America in 1913, with only $17 in his pocket, could reach such heights? Indeed, Judge Platt has provided something special to the world—his basic decency and a career distinguished by his courage, scholarship, diligence, good humor, integrity, and passion for justice. I highly recommend Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench to anyone looking to enjoy a true American success story or to discover a roadmap for living a meaningful life.”
“Judge Platt is an amazing storyteller. He captivates you from the beginning with intrigue and laughter; but there is always a lesson to be learned, and Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench does not disappoint. Through the many experiences in his life as a lawyer and a judge, he reminds us to laugh and live; but he also reminds us about humanity and how we all have a part in making the lives of others just a little bit better.”
“Judge Platt’s chronicle leads the reader to conclude that he is truly the ‘Forrest Gump’ of the Free State. From tales of the Holocaust to the rural rolling hills of Virginia, with stops into local politics, Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench takes us on a trip from the shtetls of Poland to the hallowed halls of Annapolis. A good read.”
“Judge Steven I. Platt is an insightful and irreverent raconteur who knows how to tell a story. Mark Twain would like this book. Even though it’s all true!”
“With this fascinating memoir of his incredible career, Judge Steven Platt brilliantly illustrates the connection between law and politics in Maryland. For those who engage in or have any interest in Maryland politics, in particular Prince George’s County political history, Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench is a must read. For those who may think otherwise, Judge Platt shows that ‘the game’ hasn’t changed; only the players have.”
“Judge Platt is the kind of person who always made time for a chat, whether lighthearted laughter or a deep heart-to-heart. This memoir literally tastes like a cup of coffee with a rare mentor. As an openly gay, first generation Indian American and woman of color, I never had an easy time finding mentors—professionals who could understand what I might be experiencing or seeking in my journey. The stories in Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench help me to see what experiences led Judge Platt to be the most down-to-earth, approachable, and inclusive leader I’ve ever met. Whether you know him or not, this book will move you to pursue your dreams with a bit more confidence and focus.”
“Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench is a riveting journey through Maryland politics, full of stories, universal truths, and insights into recent Maryland political history. Judge Platt’s reflections on his career as an attorney, judge, and professional mediator provide insightful, captivating, and often humorous legal lessons. Just the cogent collection one would expect from such an exceptional legal mind.”
“Two decades of hearings, chats, and whimsical stories with Judge Steve Platt are not enough. With a keen eye for intricate details of a case or events of our time, he was a step ahead of everyone in the room with his legal analysis and thought-provoking insight, typically layered with a hilarious anecdote lightening the mood for everyone within earshot. A jurist like none other, a person you always wanted to hang out and shoot the stuff with …, Steve Platt made me laugh out loud more than anyone I know. And he’s still at it with his new memoir!”
“For litigants, there are times when the judicial process—and the judges tasked to oversee it—seem removed from the disputes that courts are tasked to address. Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench provides an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the courtroom, cases, and heart behind the conflict from the vantage point of senior Judge Steven I. Platt. For lawyers, Judge Platt’s book is a candid and inspirational account of how hard work, determination, and community pave the way from rural beginnings in Strasburg, Virginia, to high-tech innovations with Maryland’s Business and Technology Case Management Program and beyond. For mediators and arbitrators that question whether a balance between zealous advocacy and calculated compromise can be achieved, Lessons Lived and Learned delivers.”
“Judge Platt was an outstanding judge on the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland. When I served as his law clerk, attorneys frequently pulled me aside to say, ‘You know he’s an excellent judge, right?’ He is a great mentor and quite the comedian, always recounting stories with hysterical punch lines. Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench is sure to reveal all these qualities and more.”
“Having lived in the courthouse during many of the years that Judge Platt presided in the District Court and Circuit Court in Prince George’s County, I particularly enjoyed the judicial history recounted in his book. It provides an entertaining and informative judicial history from the perspective of a judge who has presided over a wide variety of interesting and challenging cases. The judicial history in this book also reveals a judge who did not just preside over cases but devoted his time and expertise to improving the judicial system with new programs that benefited from the insight of a lawyer, a judge, and one who truly invested the time and effort to make the justice system work. I have always appreciated Judge Platt’s legal acumen and the respect he showed for the litigants and attorneys who appeared before him. Win or lose, one always felt that they had benefited from a fair, compassionate, and caring jurist. If one could clone a great judge, Judge Platt’s DNA would be the foundation for success.”
“Twenty-five years after clerking for Judge Platt, I still reflect on the legal lessons he impressed upon me, as expressed in his memoir, Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench. His mentorship is only exceeded by his caring, sincere friendship, and desire to help others succeed.”