The Beginning of the End...YAY

I have posted, over the past year and a half, many posts disclosing my reservations about my time in law school. I often wonder how I got into a school as prestigious as my l'il law school. And I often wonder if I deserve to be here. But the bottom line is that I am here, I have tried to make the most of it (in my non-overachiever way). I have kept my eye on the reason why my law school was #1 on my list. Today, I get the chance to begin to represent a client seeking asylum in the US. Their last effort. I am their last chance. This is what it comes down to, in my last 4 months. And I could not be more ecstatic.

I start my final semester tomorrow with my 10 credit clinic orientation. It is a moment that I have worked for fatefully since my parents exposed me to the first instance in realizing the value of humanity. It is a moment of realization of what comes full circle--the work I did in Somalia that has defined who I am as an advocate. It is the moment that I realized I had a calling that does not involve, at least for eternity, reviewing documents in a law firm. It is the moment that I realized I have the ability to impact a life, lives, for a lifetime.

I have struggled with my place in this life--this firm life. And I think I have finally found a place to be. I get to represent an asylum seeker in their last gasp. Their last effort. And I am their advocate.

I learned from my remarkable father the joy that comes from being a champion of people who can't be their own. And it's a quality he's instilled in me since early childhood. We are not meant to judge based on what those less fortunate can afford--we are meant to judge on what is fantastic and significant in all of us. And we do it in an eye that is compassionate.

In a year where I have questioned so much, this is my opportunity to do something great. Wish me luck. The only thing, I've learned, that defines all of us is ourselves. We can strive to be better, prettier, more successful than the rest. But at the end of the day, the only person we answer to is ourselves. I think there is great struggle in that. For the first time in a long time, I am not succumbing to that. And it is liberating.

My mama asked me if I was, at some point, destined for Sudan--based on all of my last exploits. She asked me this in a tenuous and painful voice. In a mother's voice. I looked at her, candidly, and said "of course". I don't want to make her cry, but I know sometimes I do, and I also know that I am the most supported gal in the world. And that is priceless. How much does Sudan and representing my unknown client have in common? Who knows, but what I do know is that this coming semester will be amazing. And I have to people to thank for that.

I live from my father's example, and my parent's support. And I cannot wait to see what this semester brings. Wish me luck...