![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/headshotd6b7c5e1ecd548918f663f22ad916269.webp)
Jalyn Ross
325
Bold Points1x
Finalist![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/headshotd6b7c5e1ecd548918f663f22ad916269.webp)
Jalyn Ross
325
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
Detailed-oriented and analytical professional with a Master's degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Law and Spanish. I enjoy challenging myself academically to aid in my development professionally in the legal field. This is all in preparation for a future career as an attorney focused on serving and advocating for underserved people groups. My goal is to never stop learning about how people are impacted by important social issues and how I can play a part in bettering the lives of others. I am always looking for opportunities to volunteer or challenge myself in community and academic activities.
Education
University of Georgia
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)Majors:
- Law
University of Georgia
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- History
University of Georgia
Master's degree programMajors:
- Public Administration
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Law
Career
Dream career field:
Law Practice
Dream career goals:
Deputy Clerk
Jackson County Probate Court2022 – Present2 yearsLegal Secretary
The Ridley Law Firm2020 – 20211 yearStudent Assistant
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences2020 – 20222 years
Future Interests
Advocacy
Politics
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Margot Pickering Aspiring Attorney Scholarship
The look on her face when I met her at the security check-in. The tears that dried, and her sigh of relief that was released. Her hand extended, ready to follow me to the probate chambers. This moment solidified my desire to pursue a career in the legal field. A few minutes earlier, a deputy sheriff came to my desk asking if I spoke Spanish, to which I answered a smiling, “¡Sí!” No other employee in the courthouse speaks a foreign language, but a woman at the entrance needed assistance. I followed the officer, introduced myself to the young woman and the little girl tucked behind her legs, and asked how I could help. She needed the death certificate for her husband who recently passed away in a tragic accident. I was able to walk her through the entire process, help with the forms, and issue the certificate. This procedure is simple and monotonous for me most days, just filing the paperwork and receipting the transaction, but the comfort I was able to afford the grieving widow that could be helped by no one other than myself was one of the most gratifying mundane moments of my professional life.
In many ways, law is simply a language used to navigate circumstances and systems of which legal professionals are translators for those in need of a guide. Learning a new language is challenging; it requires you to rewire your brain in a way that replaces associations and reforms connections used to analyze and communicate information. This challenge has drawn me into the legal field because the only satisfaction that rivals that of helping people in my life is that of bettering myself and pushing the limits of my abilities. Growing up in a house full of siblings cultivated a strong competitive nature that propels me to invest my greatest effort into any endeavor I pursue. Nothing has fulfilled this ambition more than the pursuit of new language acquisition, more specifically, the language of law.
My first full-time job was supposed to be filling in the position of receptionist for a small law firm in my hometown, but just hours before my first day I was informed the paralegal left the practice. My first day could be compared to that of a student expecting to enter an introductory Spanish class only to find themselves face to face with a teacher who refuses to speak English, but I loved it. The attorney was still in the process of defining what type of law he wanted to specialize in, so I was briefed on cases involving adoption, business formations, alleged murder, personal injury, and real estate. The world was quarantined, but the filings piled up on my desk before I walked in the door. My mind was abuzz sixty hours a week in the office, jumping from one case to the next.
It felt as though I grew another appendage taking the form of a notebook constantly documenting the tasks to complete, the information I was provided to execute the tasks, and the answers to the never-ending questions I would follow up with as I carried out my jobs. I was depended upon by my attorney and his clients to learn expeditiously and apply my acquired knowledge to the appropriate circumstances. At the same time, I was expected to make minimal mistakes, adjusting whenever they arose without the friction of embarrassment or shame, focusing on the lesson learned, and dealing with the consequences swiftly. Even with a great teacher and understanding clientele, I sometimes struggled to grasp the language of law at the pace necessary to keep up with the procedures and protocols that dictated the cases I was handling. This added to my appreciation of the work attorneys carry out daily to navigate these circumstances and the difficulties faced by those needing to handle legal issues without access to such help.
I am prepared to take this experience into my studies in law school, growing more fluent in the language of law as I progress. The legal language is complicated and consequential and those who translate it wield great responsibility. I am eager to continue devoting myself to the study and practice of law, embracing this challenge, and making a difference in the lives I touch.