CUA Cover Winter 2004 final (Page 2) - Columbus School of Law

A L T E R N A T I V E C A R E E R SJIM ROSCHER ‘93FROM ONE HELPINGPROFESSION TO ANOTHERA FEW YEARS BACK HE WOULD HAVE LENT YOU A BOOK. NOWADAYS, IF YOU BREAK THE LAW IN NEW YORK CITYHE JUST MAY THROW IT AT YOU INSTEAD.To some, it might appear that Jim Roscher hasmade one of the longer career leaps in the history ofalumni of the Columbus School of Law. Once a lawlibrarian, he left the profession to strap on the gun andbadge of the NYPD, spending four years on a beat inPatrol Borough Manhattan North. Roscher insists thetwo worlds are not as far apart as they seem. “I amstruck more by the similarities than differencesbetween the roles,” he says thoughtfully. “Librariansand police officers spend a great deal of time listeningto other people. And both are champions of ourFirst Amendment freedoms. America’s leaders speakto society because of the wealth of informationprotected by librarians and because of the openpublic pulpits protected by the police.”Although his father had also served as one ofNew York City’s Finest, (today Roscher wears hisdad’s old shield number), nothing in Roscher’s earlycareer moves suggested a future life on the force. Hehad already earned a degree in library science fromColumbia University when he applied to TheCatholic University of America’s Columbus School ofLaw. After receiving his J.D., he worked in DuFourlibrary for two years, helping smooth the complicatedtransition into the current law school building in1994. The following year, Roscher moved back toNew York to continue a career as a law librarian witha prominent private firm. In 1999, he surprisedfriends and family with his decision to apply for a spotin the police academy.“Earning a J.D. degree from Catholic wasprobably the main reason I changed careers from lawlibrarianship to law enforcement,”says Roscher. “Studyinglaw taught me the art of translatingideas into decisionsand decisions into actions. Also,the faculty was very good atinstructing the student body tothink in a way that was clear,concise, decisive and actionoriented.”These days, Roscher has been reassigned fromstreet duty to the department’s legal division. He isnow a police officer-lawyer, a combination that comesin handy. Roscher says, “Daily, police officers processa range of legal issues that would keep any trial orappellate court docket busy, yet we are afforded littletime for deliberation and decision and are generallyexpected to always be right. Having a law degree providesa fantastic foundation and perspective for allpolice action occurrences.”Would he recommend life in the blue uniform toothers? Satisfied with his own choices, OfficerRoscher says law enforcement (especially the NYPD)is a fine choice, but there are many paths fromwhich to choose.“A juris doctor degree, especially from TheCatholic University of America, is an excellentfoundation for every career. I encourage soon-to-begraduates to pursue their ‘heart-of-hearts’ dreamswhether classified as traditional or not.”14CUALAWYER /Winter 2004