The Future: The Unwritten Chapters

I relayed this feeling of anxiety, of helplessness, of confinement to a friend, and she smiled warmly, "You have to get uncomfortable if you want to be creative." Had I had a relaxing year at CLS, I may not have thought so deeply about what I wanted my career to look like or addressed my underlying insecurities. While I may not have all of the answers, my discomfort has led to small discoveries.

The first: Advocacy work.

I think its important for lawyers to take an active role in society and to help educate our peers on the limitations of the law. We tend to place policymakers in a distinct group away from lawyers, but as a law student I'm realizing how little we can effect change if we don't have a thorough understanding of the law. Via documentary-making and storytelling, I want to raise awareness on social issues but attack them from a legal perspective. I read an article recently on fare-beating on New York subways and how asking for a swipe could literally land you in jail. I was outraged and concerned about the disproportionate effect this penalty has on the most vulnerable people in our society. What was lacking from the article, however, was an understanding of how this law came about, what would it take to challenge it, and whether there were constitutional concerns. I want to use my creativity and my love for art and storytelling to affect law and policy and re-tell these important stories using a different lens.

The second: Creating my own law firm.

I know that I am going to be an amazing lawyer and I'd rather not spend the rest of my life making someone else rich. I want to start a global pro bono law firm that would address corporate social responsibility and that would tackle constitutional issues both here in the United States and worldwide. This summer, my job has required me to research the legality of class action waivers in arbitration agreements. The trend in our appellate courts seems to suggest that employees can waive their right to pursue class actions in arbitration agreements. Having studied international labor law, I know that the right to collective bargaining is a fundamental right protected in a number of jurisdictions. To allow class action waivers in arbitration agreements, while simultaneously acknowledging the unequal bargaining power between employers and employees makes me extremely uncomfortable. I would love to create a firm that would tackle these concerns, challenge them in our courts and raise awareness so that our congressmembers don't sign away our rights without us knowing.

While this only the beginning, I recognize that as I long as I stay creative, I remain true to myself. It took me an entire school year and a lot of trauma to get here but I finally understand.

Where to next?

I hope I never get comfortable, and never stop moving.