This Profession Needs Exactly You

I am the proud granddaughter, niece, and child of migrant farmworkers, semi-truck drivers, and construction  workers. I’ve learned more lessons in a field full of cebollas (onions) or on a construction site than in most classrooms. My partner, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and cousins are my greatest teachers and most trusted guides.

 

I’ve had the privilege of watching my parents achieve their dreams since I was a young girl. My sister and I would play with toys under my mom’s desk when she was getting her master’s degree. My dad graduated with his bachelor’s degree when I was in fourth grade. I was in 7th grade when he graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law, and I saw my future too. My parents taught me it is never too late to seek your purpose, that life is yours to craft, and to always, always give back at least twice as much as you’ve received.

 

I found my place here at the College of Law by finding the people who care about the same things I do, who come from similar backgrounds, and who seek opportunities that align with my values. I am thankful for my friends and colleagues in the Defender Aid Clinic who teach me so much. I am motivated by the strong professionals who mentor me, support me, and encourage me to be a fair, honest, and powerful advocate – Professor Lauren McLane, Professor Jacquelyn Bridgeman, and Professor Autumn Bernhardt.

 

The Defender Aid Clinic is one of the longest-running clinics at the College of Law and has a deeply-rooted history of pride in zealous criminal defense work. My father worked for the DAC when he was in law school under Diane Courselle’s brilliant leadership.

 

I have been honored to serve my clients, community, and clinic as the Student Director of the Defender Aid Clinic. The work I’ve had the privilege to take part in with dedicated colleagues and the clients who have trusted us with their stories, futures, and freedoms humble me and fuel my fire for impassioned advocacy.

 

Favorite moments:

In my 2L year, I had the privilege to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama, with the Defender Aid Clinic. We participated in the Black Doctoral Network with Dr. Frederick Douglass Dixon from the UW Black Studies Center on campus where we learned from and presented with brilliant professionals from a variety of careers and paths. We visited some of the most precious places in the legacy of the Civil Rights era and in the fight for Black liberation, such as the Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Selma bridge, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

 

Advice for incoming law students:

One of the best pieces of advice I received is to identify goals that have nothing to do with academics, such as getting in sunlight every day, doing something every week that has nothing to do with law school, and maybe not caring about your rank. Grades are important, but it’s just as important to remember why you decided to come to law school — to become a lawyer — and that great grades do not always equate to a being good attorney. Consider what a great attorney looks like to you and find goals that align with that image.

 

My advice to incoming students, especially to my historically marginalized, LGBTQIA2S+, low-income, neurodiverse, or otherwise “othered” comrades, is never forget who you are and where you come from. You and your community got you here, and that is what will get you through. Listen to your intuition, make healthy choices, and keep your priorities straight. These may seem like simple pieces of advice, but the environment of law school can be influencing and taxing. You do not have to be anyone but you. In fact, this profession needs exactly you!