As a 3L, I’m acutely aware of how fast approaching the “real life” working world is. Soon enough, all of us law students will reach the end of our law school journey and move on to the real world, where most of us will dedicate most of our lives working as attorneys for a firm, or maybe even start our own. Maybe some of us will leave the legal field altogether, or not even bother to try to become an attorney at all. Regardless of what you do with your degree, I write this to urge you to make a profoundly positive impact, because as lawyers, we possess the power to effect change in a way that only lawyers can.
Reflecting on my personal journey, I knew I wanted to become a lawyer when I realized the impactful difference that a lawyer can have on someone’s life. As cliché as this sounds, I wanted to help people, no different than most of you. I remember watching Barack Obama’s commencement address at Morehouse College, where he stated that while we have individual responsibilities, we also have collective responsibilities. He emphasized that there are things that we must do for those left behind, and he urged the graduates to use our power for something larger than oneself. This speech left a profound impact on me, reminding me of the reasons why I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place.
Some of us come from communities that showed us injustice and inequality in ways that others may not ever experience. Perhaps some of us grew up in abusive households or in a poor income neighborhood which gave us the determination to find a way to leave that behind. Some of us were seeking a better life by having a respectable career. This was me.
My motivation to go to law school was to help those like my mother, who was not only a victim of physical abuse but also had to deal with the troubles that come along with being poor. This meant constant eviction notices, going to food banks, and dealing with the stress of constantly borrowing and paying back highly predatory loans that she needed to survive. She lacked access to resources needed to feed and raise her children, and sufficient legal representation to advocate for her rights. I told myself that I wanted to become a lawyer not only to break us free of that cycle of poverty, but to also help those in need, just like her.
Our experiences shape us and create individuals that have the unique ability to help others in ways that only we can. It gives us unique insight into various aspects of society, and maybe we can harness that experience to effect change. I write this to remind you that your experiences and motivations have molded you into the individual that you are today, and you are about to hold a powerful degree that can be harnessed for the collective good. Even if your goal has now evolved from helping others to making money, paying back student loans, or becoming a millionaire (of course, our laudable goal as lawyers), don’t forget that you can do both and use your degree to help those in less fortunate situations by doing even simple things like mentoring others or inspiring others by your example.
Don’t get me wrong—I myself will be working at a corporate law firm once I graduate. I have no plans to become a human rights lawyer anytime soon. Making money is something that is very important to me (and many of us), but I will not forget that there is more that we can do, like pro bono work. Even if you come from a background where you had to look out for yourself, it remains essential that we contribute and that we look out for others now that we have the ability to do so. Our law degrees open doors for us to make a difference in ways that a lay person cannot—we can effect change and impact lives. This is a powerful thing. How can we not use this to do some good in the world?
In the words of Obama, “It betrays a poverty of ambition if all you think about is what goods you can buy instead of what good you can do.” Stand up for the powerless. Make some time to help underserved communities. Pick someone else up, especially if they’re struggling. Inspire others and show them that anything is possible, especially if they come from communities where they don’t believe this to be true. This is your reminder to do something powerful with your law degree—not only for yourself, but for others.