Diane Sammons, Esq. was installed as Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark in 2004, serving as special legal adviser to the Bishop and overseeing legal matters for the diocese. In 2009 she was named Chair of the Standing Commission on Constitution & Canons of the Episcopal Church. She is a communicant and former vestry member of St. George’s Church in Maplewood.
What interests you most about the law?
In Psalms 119:97 it is written: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long.” I do love the law, even though meditating on it all day long is hardly a part of my daily routine. There are so many facets of the law that interest me, but perhaps the most fascinating is the role the law can play in non-violent conflict resolution and in healing individuals and societies from wrongs they have suffered.
How does your experience as a litigator support your work with the diocese?
I generally know the types of actions and behaviors that create a significant risk of litigation. I hope this allows me to be proactive in advising the diocese. I also am fairly confident about how to advise and manage litigations when they are brought. Litigators can be a bit risk-adverse. I must always remind myself that the challenge in providing advice as a General Counsel is to find ways to say "yes" to new ideas and then find the best way to manage that risk.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your association with the Episcopal Church?
The people I meet: their faithfulness, their generosity of spirit and their commitment to practice their faith everyday through their work. The folks at 31 Mulberry Street work incredibly long hours, sacrificing time away from their families and other pursuits. They fulfill many duties and commitments outside their job descriptions. Similarly, there are so many faithful and dedicated clergy and lay people in our Diocese. It inspires me every day to try to make my commitment to my profession one that is consonant with who I am as a person of faith.
How does amending the Constitution & Canons of the Episcopal Church compare in complexity to your regular legal practice?
My legal practice has gotten increasingly complex over time, particularly in the area of managing large class actions with millions of clients and scores of law firms. There are some days I wonder why I did not choose a less mentally and emotionally challenging career. As Chair of the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, since there are many really talented attorneys, priests and bishops who serve on the Commission, my job is fairly easy. I serve as a manager to find the right people for a given task and then provide encouragement and support to get the task done timely and properly.
Tell us about your involvement with the apartheid litigation with which you have been involved during the past eleven years.
Ah, now we are talking about one of my passions. My work in this area of the law has been some of the most exciting and fulfilling work of my career. In the apartheid litigation, I lead a group of 19 other attorneys in filing litigation around the country against corporations who aided and abetted human rights abuses committed against South African citizens during the apartheid regime.
We sued under a federal statute that has been in place since the 1790s which allows aliens to sue in the United States for violations of the law of nations. So for instance, some of our clients are workers in the automobile industry who protested against apartheid and were tortured by government security forces with the support and involvement of the management of their companies. We filed the first case in June 2002, and are currently awaiting a decision on a similar case argued in the Supreme Court which will likely decide whether the case will survive.
The sole issue that is being decided by the Supreme Court is whether the statute passed in the 1790s allows for corporate liability. It is scary to think that if the Supreme Court decides the wrong way, it will end 11 years of work on behalf of so many people to bring justice on behalf of our SA victims. The good news is that we recently settled a portion of our claim as part of the GM bankruptcy proceeding, so we are hoping this settlement will be used to start a fund that will eventually repair some of the harm suffered by the victims of apartheid.
Diane Sammons in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building, February 2012.
Recently you were admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court. How did it feel to hear legal arguments up close?
Everyone should visit the Supreme Court and sit in on at least a portion of an argument when in Washington. For me it renewed my faith in our judicial system. The arguments of counsel and the interplay among the justices themselves and counsel were of the highest quality that I have witnessed in my entire legal career. It seemed there was something more going on than just the cumulative political views of the individual justices. They all seemed collegial and were fully prepared and actively engaged throughout the arguments. Their dedication and talent demonstrated that our system is healthy and functioning exactly how I envision it should. I did not expect that. Of course, you may catch me singing a different tune if they rule against my side.
When you are not practicing law, what do you enjoy doing?
I love physical, outdoor activities: running, skiing, hiking, water skiing, sailing, and travel. I also enjoy reading, watching really bad T.V. shows, and playing the guitar. Recently, I have become addicted to word games on my iPad.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
