John Ross Glover: From the Basketball Court to the Courtroom
11/24/2020 11:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Support, Features, Flight 45, Intellectual Development
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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Lehigh men's basketball alum John Ross Glover '16 has quickly risen in his profession, currently serving as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee.
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"Public service has always been tremendously important to me," he said. "To be able to use my law degree as a public servant felt like something I was called to. I can't think of anything more fulfilling than going to a court room and representing the United States of America.
Â
"As a public servant, my job is to do the right thing," Glover continued. "It's not to win, to bring the most cases or anything like that. It's to do the right thing every single day. That was important to me when getting my law degree."
Â
Glover's special assistant 12-month position is his first job after graduating Belmont College of Law.
Â
He is the youngest person in his office, and undoubtedly a rising star.
Â
"It's a fascinating position because you get to prosecute federal cases on behalf of the United States," said Glover. "We have criminal and civil sides to the office, and I'm on the criminal side.
Â
"I actually just tried a case in front of a jury last week and delivered a closing argument."
Â
It took a lot of hard work for Glover to reach this point. It was a goal he had in mind for some time.
Â
"Fairly early in college, if not before, I knew I wanted to go to law school," he said. "And once I got there, I really loved it. I quickly discovered it was my thing. I loved trial advocacy and wanted to be a trial lawyer (go to court, argue cases, judges, etc.).
Â
"Coming from a sports background, I like the competitive nature of trial work," Glover continued. "It resonated with me."
Â
Even though Glover feels that competitive aspect, the driving force behind all his actions is doing what's right.
Â
"I want to seek just outcomes and see that justice is done," he said. "If you're ever in doubt, you need to just figure out the right thing to do. I work with people who have way more experience than me and have confronted difficult issues, so I ask questions.
Â
"The Department of Justice is a vast, diverse and challenging career to enter," Glover continued. "Becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney (which Glover hopes to be one day) is a coveted position in the legal world."
Â
Glover's current impact is as part of the government's hierarchical system. Within the federal government comes the executive branch and under that is the Department of Justice, currently headed by the U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.
Â
"Each U.S. Attorney is nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate," said Glover. "There's a main Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States, there are 94 federal judicial districts with 94 U.S. Attorneys."
Â
Tennessee, where Glover grew up, has three districts (western, middle and eastern). Glover enforces federal law in middle Tennessee.
Â
"The federal building is in Nashville, so that's where I work each day," he said. "The day often starts early and can go late, but it's sometimes flexible. Preparing for a trial can get a bit strenuous and lengthy."
Â
Glover typically goes to court four to five days during the week.
Â
While in court, he often leans on skills he learned on a different type of court… the basketball court.
Â
"There is something about a trial practice, wanting to go head-to-head and not being afraid of confrontation," said Glover. "Trying any case is very difficult. There's certainly a similarity in the anxiety of trying a case versus playing a game. There's an element of being willing to put in the hard work and willing to put yourself out there.
Â
"You show how much you've prepared, putting it all on the line and hoping it's enough."
Â
Glover credits Lehigh for playing a role in building his work ethic and drive.
Â
"I think of myself as a competitor, which definitely goes back to basketball," he said. "When you compete at a school like Lehigh, with the history and success of the basketball program, coming into a culture like that makes you a more competitive person.
Â
"But I will also say, the coaching staff taught me to compete the right way, which is certainly relevant with what I do today," Glover continued. "This is not a job for people who want to behave unethically, take shortcuts or push the rules. It's for people who are committed to having integrity with what they do and doing things the right way every single day. Those attributes are also stressed and emphasized when you're part of a college basketball program."
Â
Attention to detail was imperative for Glover as a Lehigh student-athlete, and even more important today.
Â
"You always talk as a basketball player about doing the little things, like taking a charge," he said. "Little things often help you win a basketball game, and help you win a trial."
Â
In both athletics and law, it's important to stay even keel whether you win or lose.
Â
"Any great lawyers hold themselves to the highest standards, but when another lawyer representing an opposing party disagrees, it should never be personal because they have a job to do too," said Glover. "They need to represent their client zealously. It's not about me. It's not necessarily because I did something wrong.
Â
"The same is true for the Court. If the judge rules against me, the worst thing you can do is assume it's personal. The judicial branch interprets the law and applies it to the case."
Â
Glover doesn't look at trial losses as a defeat, but more so a learning opportunity.
Â
"If a judge rules against you, it's important to reflect on the argument you made, reflect on your writing, what you submitted and what was said," he said. "Look at the facts of the case again, acknowledge any mistakes and see if you could have done anything differently."
Â
Like any high-level athlete, Glover has had to learn how to fail, both individually and as a team. Failing is inevitable in athletics, and life, but it's about how you respond.
Â
"In basketball, you might play a few days later and find yourself in the same position or see the same defensive scheme," he said. "Athletics teaches you how to move past bad decisions, bad plays, bad losses or bad outcomes."
Â
"Whether it's in the court room or on the basketball court, you can't internalize losses," Glover continued. "You're going to lose in all walks of life. It's unavoidable."
Â
But when you lose in something you're so passionate about (like Glover was with basketball and is with law), you're able to bounce back from the losses and come back even stronger.
Â
"I've learned the value of being passionate about what you do," said Glover. "Passion is why I played basketball every single day at Lehigh, for no other reason than I loved the game. College basketball is full of ups and downs. If you're doing it just for the ups, then you're going to fall apart."
Â
The exact same thing can be said for law.
Â
"If you're married to the ups, then the downs will really jar you," said Glover. "Lehigh, and the people at Lehigh, helped nurture my passion. It gave me a place to pursue that passion and learn things about the nature of hard work and where hard work can take you."
Â
Glover quickly learned that passion is transferrable.
Â
"Passionate lawyers make great lawyers," he said. "Living out my passion every day at Lehigh helped me translate it to the next thing in life I'm most passionate about… law."
Â
Because of Glover's passion for basketball, he was always willing to do whatever it took to help the team win. He worked his way up to his most minutes as a senior, because he earned it.
Â
The same is true in his law career.
Â
"If you want to be trusted with a lot, you need to first be trusted with a little," said Glover. "That often gets stressed in basketball, and on any team.
Â
"My first day in my current role, I started on little things, simpler cases, smaller procedural matters and more straightforward briefs that had to be submitted to the courts. I have progressed to where I'm now working long days preparing for trials."
Â
Glover's term in his current role ends in December, but his career is only beginning.
Â
"I'm excited to go back into the private sector as an attorney where there's a lot you can learn," he said. "I feel very fortunate for the chance to go to federal court every day as a 26-year old attorney and to have already tried cases in front of a jury. To be candid, I did not envision getting a job like this when I graduated law school. It's been like drinking through a fire hydrant at times, with the amount of information I've had to learn, understand and get caught up on just through the job I do right now.
Â
"But I've loved it."
Â
Being the competitor he is, no surprise that Glover's aspirations are high. What continues to drive him every day is public service.
Â
"I'd love to be back in our office one day as an Assistant United States Attorney," said Glover. "I'd love the chance to work in Washington, D.C. in the main justice. I'd love to learn how the main justice works with the rest of the country's U.S. Attorney offices.
Â
"It's also important to me that students at places like Lehigh right now know and believe in the things they want to pursue after college, be confident enough to pursue them now, look forward to them even before the ball stops bouncing and harbor no fears for post-basketball life."
Â
No matter the exact role in his future, Glover knows he has found his calling in law.
Â
"This is what I want to do," he said. "Doing it has really confirmed this is something I could see myself doing for a really, really long time."
Â
Check out this video feature from John Ross' time as a student-athlete.
Â
Lehigh men's basketball alum John Ross Glover '16 has quickly risen in his profession, currently serving as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee.
Â
"Public service has always been tremendously important to me," he said. "To be able to use my law degree as a public servant felt like something I was called to. I can't think of anything more fulfilling than going to a court room and representing the United States of America.
Â
"As a public servant, my job is to do the right thing," Glover continued. "It's not to win, to bring the most cases or anything like that. It's to do the right thing every single day. That was important to me when getting my law degree."
Â
Glover's special assistant 12-month position is his first job after graduating Belmont College of Law.
Â
He is the youngest person in his office, and undoubtedly a rising star.
Â
"It's a fascinating position because you get to prosecute federal cases on behalf of the United States," said Glover. "We have criminal and civil sides to the office, and I'm on the criminal side.
Â
"I actually just tried a case in front of a jury last week and delivered a closing argument."
Â
It took a lot of hard work for Glover to reach this point. It was a goal he had in mind for some time.
 "Fairly early in college, if not before, I knew I wanted to go to law school," he said. "And once I got there, I really loved it. I quickly discovered it was my thing. I loved trial advocacy and wanted to be a trial lawyer (go to court, argue cases, judges, etc.).
Â
"Coming from a sports background, I like the competitive nature of trial work," Glover continued. "It resonated with me."
Â
Even though Glover feels that competitive aspect, the driving force behind all his actions is doing what's right.
Â
"I want to seek just outcomes and see that justice is done," he said. "If you're ever in doubt, you need to just figure out the right thing to do. I work with people who have way more experience than me and have confronted difficult issues, so I ask questions.
Â
"The Department of Justice is a vast, diverse and challenging career to enter," Glover continued. "Becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney (which Glover hopes to be one day) is a coveted position in the legal world."
Â
Glover's current impact is as part of the government's hierarchical system. Within the federal government comes the executive branch and under that is the Department of Justice, currently headed by the U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.
Â
"Each U.S. Attorney is nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate," said Glover. "There's a main Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States, there are 94 federal judicial districts with 94 U.S. Attorneys."
Â
Tennessee, where Glover grew up, has three districts (western, middle and eastern). Glover enforces federal law in middle Tennessee.
Â
"The federal building is in Nashville, so that's where I work each day," he said. "The day often starts early and can go late, but it's sometimes flexible. Preparing for a trial can get a bit strenuous and lengthy."
Â
Glover typically goes to court four to five days during the week.
Â
While in court, he often leans on skills he learned on a different type of court… the basketball court.
Â
"There is something about a trial practice, wanting to go head-to-head and not being afraid of confrontation," said Glover. "Trying any case is very difficult. There's certainly a similarity in the anxiety of trying a case versus playing a game. There's an element of being willing to put in the hard work and willing to put yourself out there.
Â
"You show how much you've prepared, putting it all on the line and hoping it's enough."
Â
Glover credits Lehigh for playing a role in building his work ethic and drive.
 "I think of myself as a competitor, which definitely goes back to basketball," he said. "When you compete at a school like Lehigh, with the history and success of the basketball program, coming into a culture like that makes you a more competitive person.
Â
"But I will also say, the coaching staff taught me to compete the right way, which is certainly relevant with what I do today," Glover continued. "This is not a job for people who want to behave unethically, take shortcuts or push the rules. It's for people who are committed to having integrity with what they do and doing things the right way every single day. Those attributes are also stressed and emphasized when you're part of a college basketball program."
Â
Attention to detail was imperative for Glover as a Lehigh student-athlete, and even more important today.
Â
"You always talk as a basketball player about doing the little things, like taking a charge," he said. "Little things often help you win a basketball game, and help you win a trial."
Â
In both athletics and law, it's important to stay even keel whether you win or lose.
Â
"Any great lawyers hold themselves to the highest standards, but when another lawyer representing an opposing party disagrees, it should never be personal because they have a job to do too," said Glover. "They need to represent their client zealously. It's not about me. It's not necessarily because I did something wrong.
Â
"The same is true for the Court. If the judge rules against me, the worst thing you can do is assume it's personal. The judicial branch interprets the law and applies it to the case."
Â
Glover doesn't look at trial losses as a defeat, but more so a learning opportunity.
Â
"If a judge rules against you, it's important to reflect on the argument you made, reflect on your writing, what you submitted and what was said," he said. "Look at the facts of the case again, acknowledge any mistakes and see if you could have done anything differently."
Â
Like any high-level athlete, Glover has had to learn how to fail, both individually and as a team. Failing is inevitable in athletics, and life, but it's about how you respond.
Â
"In basketball, you might play a few days later and find yourself in the same position or see the same defensive scheme," he said. "Athletics teaches you how to move past bad decisions, bad plays, bad losses or bad outcomes."
Â
"Whether it's in the court room or on the basketball court, you can't internalize losses," Glover continued. "You're going to lose in all walks of life. It's unavoidable."
Â
But when you lose in something you're so passionate about (like Glover was with basketball and is with law), you're able to bounce back from the losses and come back even stronger.
Â
"I've learned the value of being passionate about what you do," said Glover. "Passion is why I played basketball every single day at Lehigh, for no other reason than I loved the game. College basketball is full of ups and downs. If you're doing it just for the ups, then you're going to fall apart."
Â
The exact same thing can be said for law.
 "If you're married to the ups, then the downs will really jar you," said Glover. "Lehigh, and the people at Lehigh, helped nurture my passion. It gave me a place to pursue that passion and learn things about the nature of hard work and where hard work can take you."
Â
Glover quickly learned that passion is transferrable.
Â
"Passionate lawyers make great lawyers," he said. "Living out my passion every day at Lehigh helped me translate it to the next thing in life I'm most passionate about… law."
Â
Because of Glover's passion for basketball, he was always willing to do whatever it took to help the team win. He worked his way up to his most minutes as a senior, because he earned it.
Â
The same is true in his law career.
Â
"If you want to be trusted with a lot, you need to first be trusted with a little," said Glover. "That often gets stressed in basketball, and on any team.
Â
"My first day in my current role, I started on little things, simpler cases, smaller procedural matters and more straightforward briefs that had to be submitted to the courts. I have progressed to where I'm now working long days preparing for trials."
Â
Glover's term in his current role ends in December, but his career is only beginning.
Â
"I'm excited to go back into the private sector as an attorney where there's a lot you can learn," he said. "I feel very fortunate for the chance to go to federal court every day as a 26-year old attorney and to have already tried cases in front of a jury. To be candid, I did not envision getting a job like this when I graduated law school. It's been like drinking through a fire hydrant at times, with the amount of information I've had to learn, understand and get caught up on just through the job I do right now.
Â
"But I've loved it."
Â
Being the competitor he is, no surprise that Glover's aspirations are high. What continues to drive him every day is public service.
Â
"I'd love to be back in our office one day as an Assistant United States Attorney," said Glover. "I'd love the chance to work in Washington, D.C. in the main justice. I'd love to learn how the main justice works with the rest of the country's U.S. Attorney offices.
Â
"It's also important to me that students at places like Lehigh right now know and believe in the things they want to pursue after college, be confident enough to pursue them now, look forward to them even before the ball stops bouncing and harbor no fears for post-basketball life."
Â
No matter the exact role in his future, Glover knows he has found his calling in law.
Â
"This is what I want to do," he said. "Doing it has really confirmed this is something I could see myself doing for a really, really long time."
Â
Check out this video feature from John Ross' time as a student-athlete.
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