Written by Blanca Morales for Rubenstein Law
When Broward County Schools reached out to Rubenstein Law’s Community Involvement Committee with an invitation to take part in Real Men Read, they had the perfect representative for the event: litigation attorney Ronnie M. Gotti.
Real Men Read is an initiative by Broward County Schools and the Broward Reads program to increase literacy among Pre-K and elementary school children. Real Men Read aims to introduce the youth to positive male role models and motivate students about reading. Event participants read a book and shared how their own love for literacy has helped them in their career.
As it happens, Ronnie’s earliest childhood memories involve reading. As a kid, he surrounded himself with Goosebumps and Animorphs books. He also enjoyed the assigned readings at school, such as The Crucible by Arthur Miller. His love of reading led him to receive a degree in English Literature before becoming an attorney.
Ronnie read to a second grade class at North Side Elementary in Fort Lauderdale. When the children realized he is a personal injury lawyer, they promptly lined up to shake his hand. They regarded their guest's visit as a great privilege. The children remained attentive and respectful as he read No Grades, No Play: Balancing School and Sports by Ray Shipman.
“Reading has always had a profound impact on me. By participating in Real Men Read, I hoped to share some of that impact with the children,” he said.
