Paving the Way to a New Today
| Publication year | 2022 |
| Pages | 04 |
WELCOME PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
BY JOI KUSH
In the heady days of law school, it is our ideals that drive us. We believe in justice, in fighting for die rights of die under-represented, and in promoting societal change for die betterment of all. Anything seems possible if we just work hard enough. We study for hours, attend networking events, volunteer at legal clinics, clerk for judges, compete in moot court, edit lengthy scholarly articles, and incur a crippling amount of debt—all to further our goal of joining die legal profession and making a difference.
After law school, those goals can suddenly seem more aspirational than practical. Our definition of "justice" becomes flexible and conditional. The sad realization sets in that die underrepresented lack die resources to even find an attorney let alone retain one, and that countless institutional obstacles prevent us from establishing sustainable change. Nevertheless, we work hard and remain dedicated to our craft. We spend countless hours perfecting our strategies, advising clients, tracking our time in 0.1 hour increments, and taking on pro bono clients when we can. We are one and die same. We are lawyers.
But there's a flaw in this approach: we are not die same. We are individuals with unique experiences, and these experiences shape who we are and how we act, react, and interact. Instead of allowing us to be ourselves, die legal profession encourages us to assimilate, which stifles innovation and prevents die profession from reflecting die people we serve. To upend die norm and transform die legal profession, we must reject this homogenization, refuse to assimilate, and work toward a future that embraces individuality.
Fortunately, the future might be closer than we think. During my presidency, I've had die honor of meeting law students from die University of Denver Sturm College of Law ( Denver Law) and University of Colorado Law School (Colorado Law) who agree that it's time to reverse course and create a legal profession of belonging and community. I'm proud to highlight a few of these inspirational law student leaders here.
Essence Duncan
Essence Duncan is from Jacksonville, Florida— the largest city in the United States (by land mass, that is). Before enrolling in Colorado Law, Essence studied psychology with a focus on criminology. She originally wanted to be a juvenile...
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