Advocates and Allies in Law Scholarship

Throughout high school, I volunteered every week at a local shelter that housed women escaping from domestic violence. Between bringing hot meals and playing dress-up with their children, I was able to slowly gain these women’s trust. Through tears, these women told me about the trauma they had been through, from abusive husbands to sexual assault. The worst part, they said, was that these men still had a tangible claim to the children they had fathered. The scariest moment I experienced while at the shelter was when one of the abusive husbands came storming into the yard, looking for his child. The mother firmly planted herself in front of this man, while I hid the child behind me. Unfortunately, because the mother and I had small frames, the man threw both of us aside with no effort at all, triumphantly picked up his screaming child, and stomped away. That was the day that I promised myself if I couldn’t protect these people physically, then I would do it in the courtroom. For the longest time, I didn’t think emotion had a place in law - I thought the two had to be disconnected and that people left their tears outside the courtroom. After spending a summer at the DC Superior Court, I was astounded at how wrong I was. Every day, I heard arguments, screams, and wails echoing through the hallways, and no one was considered weaker for it. I had no real training in the law, so my strongest skill became my empathy - it made clients feel as though they could be completely honest and vulnerable with me. From what I saw, the strongest attorneys were the ones who were able to truly empathize with their clients and, in turn, make the judge clearly understand their stories as well. Even in the sweltering summer heat, the atmosphere in the courtroom was always chilly. A tired mother sat as far away as possible from who I presumed to be the father of the child sitting quietly in the corner. Time and time again, I heard the judge explain with thinly veiled irritation that child support should cover more than just the basic needs of life - educational experiences are less meaningful if those children can’t go on field trips, buy books, or afford glasses. It was in this underbelly of the D.C. court system, amidst fighting couples and howling babies, that I discovered my passion for family law. I got to see firsthand how child support, civil protection orders, divorce, and juvenile cases were settled. Everyone I saw there was experiencing some kind of hurt and they had turned to the court to remedy that hurt. Before seeing what family law was, I thought that what happened in courtrooms was distant, calculated, and inflexible. Seeing attorneys and judges work together to make sure the law was upheld made me realize that it can accommodate for broken families, aid people looking to adopt and bring someone new into their home, and provide for children who need money for food, clothing, and school supplies. By attending law school, I hope to obtain a degree that will help me do exactly what I vowed to do - protect those who need it. More than that, however, I want to be able to use a law degree to supplement my compassion for the people I encounter and be an advocate for people who haven’t yet experienced how empathetic the law can really be.