BECOMING A DRUM MAJOR FOR JUSTICE
I am guilty of having the drum major instinct. I have "a desire to be out
front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first." But I, like
Martin Luther King Jr. was, hope to someday become a drum major for justice.
I decided to go to law school because I recognized the many injustices in
our society. I wanted to dedicate my life to righting wrongs, helping those
living in poverty and making lasting system change. As I committed to law
school, I believed that the law is an important tool and could and should be
used to protect everyone from the injustices that plague society.
This summer, at Neighborhood Legal Services Association, I continued to
make my dream a reality. The summer intern program at NLSA focuses mainly on
landlord-tenant disputes. While this may seem like a fairly specific area of
poverty law, I was kept busier than I have ever been.1
My internship gave me the opportunity and the responsibility to handle
caseloads by the dozen. Within the first week, I was sifting through a stack
of client files preparing defenses and arguments which would be presented at
hearings, arbitrations and motions court as well as interviewing and
advising clients over the phone and through client letters. Not having any
experience in landlord-tenant law, it did not take but a couple of weeks
before I was astounded by the number of people who are paying high prices
for substandard and uninhabitable housing, by the number of people who
cannot afford to pay market rent but are denied public housing, and by the
number of people who are illegally locked out of their apartment or are
without utilities because of their landlord’s ill-will.
Throughout the summer I had more clients then I can even count. Some of
the problems my clients encounter are admittedly easier and take less time
to resolve, but some of the problems my clients present to me still have me
perplexed, and I am convinced their files will never close. But what I have
come to learn and understand is that each one of these problems, no matter
how easy or how difficult, is equally important and will greatly influence
the life of the client coming to me for legal advice and help.
While it was a very exciting summer loaded with new experiences such as
hearings before District Judges and Arbitration Panels, negotiating with
landlords and housing managers, it was also incredibly overwhelming. I have
had days where I became borderline apathetic to the vast number of problems
surrounding me, because the stress and exhaustion pushed me just about to my
breaking point. To know that when you come back to work on Monday, after
enjoying a relaxing or fun filled weekend, your client and their family will
be homeless is a huge burden to bear. However, while some of my summer
experiences were overwhelming, I am grateful for each and every one of them.
Each client and every problem I encountered was part of my path to
understanding the nature of public interest law. The reoccurring problems
that I could not solve to my client’s or my own satisfaction showed me the
importance of the whole system working together. I now more fully realize
the importance of each and every drum major being part of a band. Some
public interest lawyers are dedicated servants doing direct client
representation and others are working to change the system as a whole by
changing laws which adversely or disproportionately impact those living in
poverty. Yet, each part is equally important; neither can stand ahead of the
other in working to efficiently fight injustice.
As someone who recognizes my own drum major instinct, I am proud that two
years of law school has not changed the person I am. I remain devoted to
public interest law and being part of the force that will change society for
the better. This internship has been amazing, rewarding and incredibly
beneficial in helping me become the drum major and public interest lawyer I
want to be.
