{"id":265171,"date":"2022-03-30T06:41:03","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T11:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=265171"},"modified":"2022-03-28T23:34:29","modified_gmt":"2022-03-29T04:34:29","slug":"mississippi-female-ag-pro-life-women-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/mississippi-female-ag-pro-life-women-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi\u2019s first female AG encourages pro-life women to step into leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lynn Fitch, Mississippi\u2019s first female attorney general, has made the defense of the dignity of human life a hallmark of her career in public service. In her role as AG of Mississippi, Fitch is making history as the woman behind the Supreme Court case which is directly challenging Roe v. Wade<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization<\/em>, heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on December 1, 2021, will\u00a0determine whether the state can\u00a0prohibit<\/a>\u00a0\u201cpreviable\u201d abortions at 15 weeks or later. The Court’s decision is expected sometime in the next few months.<\/p>\n

In her distinguished public service career, Fitch has served as Mississippi\u2019s elected State Treasurer, was selected by Governor Barbour to be Executive Director of the Mississippi State Personnel Board (MSPB) and served as Deputy Executive Director at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) as well as Counsel for the Mississippi House of Representative.<\/p>\n

At the age of 23, Fitch began her legal career as a Special Assistant Attorney General at the Mississippi Attorney General\u2019s Office. Then, on January 9, 2020,\u00a0Fitch was sworn in as Mississippi\u2019s 40th Attorney General \u2014 the first woman to attain the position.<\/p>\n

In addition to her commitment to protecting preborn babies from the violence of abortion, Fitch’s bio notes that her commitment to the dignity of life “extends beyond the life issues at stake in the Dobbs case to supporting our most vulnerable and helping them to achieve their best futures.” In fact,\u00a0since taking office in January 2020, AG Fitch has also made human trafficking a top priority of her office. She serves as Co-Chair of the National Association of Attorneys General Human Trafficking Committee.<\/p>\n

“As Attorney General, I have the opportunity to fight for the most vulnerable in our society, including the unborn, victims of crime, and seniors. When our investigators recover a victim of human trafficking or our prosecutors put an online predator in prison, it is a humbling, yet awesome experience. We have made a real difference in real lives,” Fitch told Live Action News.<\/p>\n

Inspired to enter public service<\/strong><\/p>\n

Raised in Holly Springs, Fitch told Live Action News that her father inspired her to become a public servant.\u00a0“My father, who passed away just last year, taught me a lot about public service. He was always looking for a way to give back to our community of Holly Springs and our State, whether it was through his businesses, his philanthropy, or his civic leadership.”<\/p>\n

Fitch added, “I tried to emulate that model as I grew up and held a number of leadership positions throughout my academic career from Marshall Academy to the University of Mississippi School of Law.”\u00a0But Fitch said it was her mentor, the\u00a0late Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Gandy, who inspired her to engage in politics and government.<\/p>\n

“When I was a young lawyer at the Attorney General\u2019s Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General, the former Lieutenant Governor, the late Evelyn Gandy, similarly inspired me to be an active and engaged participant in politics, government, and law.\u00a0 She was a mentor and friend and I continue to carry the lessons I learned from her with me in my daily work as Mississippi\u2019s first woman Attorney General.”<\/p>\n

She said the lieutenant governor encouraged her and other women to support each other.<\/p>\n

“When I was first admitted to the Bar, young women lawyers could sit around a single table and Governor Gandy would encourage us to support one another as we reached for whatever dreams we held dear. Today, we are participating in far greater numbers as Bar Presidents, partners in law firms, law school professors, judges, and more. In fact, both of Mississippi\u2019s law schools have women deans. Though we no longer sit around a single table at Bar gatherings, we continue to support one another, to mentor each other, to collaborate, and to celebrate each other\u2019s successes,” Fitch stated.<\/p>\n

Fitch encourages pro-life women to enter public service<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fitch believes pro-life women should consider entering public service as she did. “Do not let your lack of previous engagement stop you from getting in there,” she said. “It is always a good time to start down this path.”<\/p>\n

“I highly encourage pro-life women to engage in public service \u2013 whether as a candidate for elected office, an appointee to a board or commission, or even as the manager of another\u2019s campaign. There is no greater reward than knowing you have positively impacted other people\u2019s lives and public service gives you the opportunity to have that influence.”<\/p>\n

“…[T]here are organizations out there that specifically teach women how to use their strengths to become successful participants in public service. In fact, I helped the Mississippi Republican Party launch one several years ago, WIN-R (Women\u2019s Initiative Network for Republicans).”<\/p>\n