Careers: Why I Chose Law

Coming from a poor background in a rural West Virginia town, I have seen firsthand what the lack of legal assistance can do to our state's poor. Since reading To Kill A Mockingbird in 6^th grade, I have known that I wanted to spend my time on earth fighting for justice for those who couldn't fight for themselves. And because there are no souls less capable of fighting for themselves than children, working for the Child Law Services is what I sincerely want to do with my legal education.

The summer before my senior year of undergraduate studies, I partook in an internship in my hometown of the local courts. I observed the goings on of the magistrate court, circuit court, parole office and what I was permitted to see of the family court. Seeing my fellow community members fight for legal aid and seldom be represented by attorneys was not easy. My county does not have a Public Defenders office although one is sorely needed. While observing in the Parole Office, I found that many children in W.V. are abandoned or neglected while their guardians are in the hands of the law. Others are sent on seemingly flimsy evidence to juvenile detention centers. No attorney handles these children's cases. It is to my knowledge, in my county at least, that one woman-the parole officer-carries this burden and she often expressed to me how she wished the legal system was different. In the circuit court, I saw children being escorted in by guardians to bravely pursue sexual abuse cases by neighbors or relatives. My heart went out to these children as they were placed in the formal adult world of the court system and made to speak of the fearful experiences that made a permanent scar on their lives. In magistrate court, I saw seventeen year olds arraigned for drug sale charges and wondered if a better childhood and legal representation would have seen them in a more promising direction.

Overachiever would be one word friends might use to describe my work ethic. Always going above and beyond the requirements of classroom assignments has led to excellent grades in high school and an almost "full ride" to college. Of course I went to a small private college which others tagged only for overachievers. Obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at West Virginia Wesleyan was the most rewarding experience I could have had for my first four years of higher education. I was in small classrooms and was able to talk one-on-one with my professors about questions I had about the field. I feel it has prepared me well for West Virginia University School of Law. Here I plan to study hard, earn my A's, and develop lifelong connections to those committed to fighting for justice for those who can't fight themselves. If I make a difference in one child's life by ensuring that the legal system treats them fairly, then it will all be worth it.