Norman Ostrow Memorial Scholar
What first inspired you to pursue a career in law?
In the summer before my junior year of high school, Michael Brown was killed by a police officer just a few miles away from my home. His death was the catalyst of the Movement for Black Lives, and also made me realize that I could not feel good about myself unless I entered the legal field to try to eradicate the systems of violence and oppression that made his death and so many others seem like an inevitability.
How has your experience in the Civil Rights Clinic shaped your career aspirations?
First, I want everything in my life to include supervision by Professor Deborah Archer. But in all seriousness, by doing work on everything from workers’ rights, to employment discrimination, to reproductive justice, to voting rights, I have gained knowledge on an extraordinary range of civil rights issues that has made me more sure than ever that I want to be a civil rights lawyer in the future. I have seen enormous passion from my fellow classmates and those affected by these issues to get everything right. I have seen exceptional legal strategizing from partner organizations and my clinical professors. I know that working in this field someday will surround me with some of the best lawyers and people that I've ever met.
What's the last book you read and loved?
Song of Achilles. Even though everyone on my For You page is talking about this, I will still sing its praises. It's a phenomenal book about queer romance, Greek myths, and how to live in the shadow of another. It's a great combination of the sappiness of young adult romance novels, the mystical adventuring of fantasy novels, and the fascinating interpersonal dynamics of any great book. You'll be doing yourself a favor by reading it.
Posted May 11, 2022.