#6: Susan Ramsey in The Heart of Law

While summer fills Hollywood screens with powerful, spandex-clad caped crusaders and invincible femme-dynamos, a real-life superwoman, Susan Ramsey sweeps in the studio of The Heart of Law.  True to her steadfast form, our compelling anchor, Mirena Umizaj, invites another superlative guest who takes our breath away ...  

We meet an unassuming soul in Susan as the ladies begin their easygoing conversation about the surprising benefits of Covid-19, saving “on gas, on driving, and on the environment, and just stay[ing] above the fray.” Their warmth and casual exchange fill the scene even as they discuss the nations’ strained political climate. However, they touch an austere note when the opioid epidemic comes up.  We grasp how Susan champions the cause of substance abuse victims by advocating their individualized medical care in lieu of incarceration. Without warning, her inconceivable courage stares us straight in the eye as Susan candidly shares intimate details about rising from the depths of assault and subsequent whiplash of alcoholism and drug addiction.  We encounter the despondent darkness she hardly had the strength to battle. With detox, Alcoholics Anonymous, and the deep humility of daily speaking to herself: “I am only sober today … I have to take one day at a time seriously,” she sparsely survives and we grasp her spirit—indomitable and resolute.

Starting her career as a nurse and mentored by Barbara Moynihan (Ph.D., APRN-BC), we hear about Susan’s tenure in a rape crisis program in the ’80s at Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut. After a turn of events, she relates how an unusually thick-witted dynamic in the courtroom became a catalyst that gave her the confidence to attain a law degree at the City University of New York. Even after she became a lawyer, Susan felt drawn to the weak and destitute and began devoting herself to harrowing cases like sexual assault, medical malpractice, sober home, substance disorder, catastrophic injury suits, and the like. After decades of giving her time away, pro bono cases, and working alongside Dena Sisk Foman, they began building a reputation of championing causes for victims of abuse and negligence. It’s no wonder she is a proud member of the National Crime Victims Bar Association and a recipient of the Arnold Markle award, among many other community service distinctions.

When Mirena asks Susan what the future holds for her career, without batting an eye, Susan unflinchingly remarks on continuing to make a compounding difference in as many lives as she can—represent victims of negligence as well as survivors of sexual assault and substance abuse. So when Susan suggests for us to make a difference and find work in something we truly love doing, we can’t help but acknowledge the discernment behind her words. Listening to her, we now have the inspiration to take flight, run with the weary, and carry their burdens with grace. In Susan Ramsey, we witness a guardian with grit and mettle in her deepest heart. Incredible.

EPISODE SURVEY:

• [00:06:45] On the most pressing issues in our nation today
• [00:17:06] Battling with substance use disorder
• [00:25:05] A renewed mindset empowering Susan’s to maintain her sobriety
• [00:31:16] Susan’s journey of becoming a nurse and later pursuing law
• [00:31:41] The personal significance behind Susan’s law practice specialties
• [00:44:18] The need for individualized attention in the substance use disorder treatment industry
• [00:47:14] Substance abuse and sexual assault cases through the eyes of a hero
• [01:03:30] Spiritual wellness and making peace with internal demons

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

• “Not everything I think is true...I don’t have control over the thoughts that sometimes invade and attack my brain. What I do I have control over is my response or reaction to it.”
• “part of the foundation of [sobriety]  is I have to take one day at a time seriously. I can't do tomorrow yet.
• “There's a lot of prejudice against alcoholics and drug addicts...none of those things are going to
  change until people like me who may not look like a drug addict and an alcoholic start talking about it and saying, ‘I am one.’ "
• “My experience is to give hopefully some inkling that there's hope and that there is recovery.’
• “in terms of my own recovery, in order to keep it, I have to give it away.”
• “I used to think that ‘fearless’ meant the absence of fear. It doesn’t mean that. It means you fearless than you did before”
• “My ability to share my experience and hope with others is one way I stay sober”
  

LINKS FROM THE SHOW:

• Visit Mirena’s chic Website and LinkedIn
• Susan is a proud member of the National Crime Victim Bar Association
• Check out the book Susan mentioned on different sex-offender profiles: Men Who Rape
• As Susan discussed, the American Society of Addiction Medicine makes efforts to provide individualized care.
• An important part of Susan’s journey to recovery: Alcoholics Anonymous

ABOUT OUR GUEST: Susan Ramsey 

• Began as a Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Yale New Haven Hospital 
• Graduated from City University of New Law School at Queens College
• Delivered seminars to local police departments, universities, and high schools
• Active member of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, National Crime Victims Bar Association, and American Justice Association
• Affiliated with several Floridian organizations: Palm Beach County Bar Association, Palm Beach County Justice Association, and Florida Justice Association
• Litigates cases on behalf of survivors involving sexual assault and other catastrophic injuries
• Champion of justice for victims of medical negligence and poor substance abuse treatment
• Received the Arnold Markle Award in recognition for work with survivors of sexual assault
• Pro Bono Counsel member of the Florida Association of Recovery Residences Compliance Committee
• Engaged member of the Palm Beach County State Attorney Sober Home Task Force