Personal Narrative: A Career As A Public Defense Attorney

My public service career goal is to become a public defense attorney. While shadowing an Assistant State Attorney for Prince George’s county, I was able to see the trials of many individuals. The criminal justice process impacts the lives of thousands of people every day. The attorney I was shadowing began her career as a public defense attorney. When she asked me why I wanted to be one, I responded with the fact that I have watched the lives of many of my classmates and friends be changed by the criminal justice system. I am tired of seeing people defended improperly and listed as just another case on the docket. Each person has a story behind charges they are being pressed with. I want to ensure that each defendant gets a fair trial process. …show more content…
I experienced a range of socio-economic conditions and how that can impact a person’s ability to perform in school and the greater society. Many of my classmates were not as fortunate as I in terms of financial stability. Despite that fact, upon my initial entry into each community, I was regarded as an outsider. I did not understand “how things worked,” but I was a person. I may not have struggled with financial instability but I did experience familial instability after my parents divorced in 2008. I quickly learned how to watch out for myself and my brother on top of never expecting the normal. I am still an outsider, even in my college experience. That is just the nature I have come to live