Current Role: Trial Attorney, New York County Defender Services
Law School: New York Law School ’22
John Jay Degree: B.A. in Law and Society
Programs: Macaulay Honors, Honors Program, Pre-Law Institute (PLI)
Internships: Office of the Bronx District Attorney, New York City Councilmember Donavan Richards
Mentors: Elizabeth Broccoli, Charles Davidson, Ph.D., Adrienne Fitzgerald, Dara Byrne, Ph.D., Robert Garot, Ph.D.
Hometown: Brooklyn and Queens, NY
Career Aspiration: Trial Attorney
What was life like before John Jay?
I grew up in an all-female household where education was of the utmost importance. Back in Jamaica, my mom had to drop out of school to help my grandmother pay the bills. When she came to the U.S., my mom vowed to return to school, go to college, and earn her degree. And she did. While raising five girls on her own, she worked full-time and went to school. Financially it was challenging at times but seeing her be persistent was inspiring. We saw her earn her GED, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree in social work. Seeing her in action instilled a relentless drive to succeed in us.
Why John Jay?
I had friends and family who attended John Jay and, when I was in high school, I had the chance to sit in on a class with (former dean) Dara Byrne. That’s when I knew I had to come to the College. She was so kind and showed me how John Jay would put me on the path to achieving my law school dreams. She told me that John Jay has one of the highest success rates for sending Black applicants to law school.
What sparked your passion for the law?
When you put someone in prison, you’re not just affecting them, you’re impacting the lives of everyone around them. I experienced this firsthand with my aunt who was in the system. She defended herself from her domestic abuser and was put in prison and subsequently deported. I remember sitting in court with my family and watching her trial play out. Unfortunately, the jurors found my aunt guilty, and the verdict devastated our family.
Witnessing how the lawyer’s arguments swayed the juror’s decision made me realize what an important job lawyers have. They make a difference in people’s lives. And, it made me wonder if I could have changed the result. If I had been the one arguing on her behalf, could I have made a difference? Could I have spared my family the pain we endured? From that moment, I knew I wanted to become a criminal defense attorney.
In what ways did Macaulay Honors impact your John Jay journey?
Macaulay was a lifesaver in many ways. During my junior year, my mother had to have surgery. At the time, I was the only other person in the house who worked. I was juggling school and work, paying the bills, and taking care of my mom and siblings. It was so stressful. I remember not getting paid because of a system error at work and I desperately needed emergency funds to pay the rent. Ms. Adrienne Fitzgerald suggested I apply for Macaulay’s emergency funding program and take up available counseling. I got the funds and support I needed almost immediately. It was such a blessing. I’ll forever be so grateful to Macaulay because they weren’t just helping me, they were helping my whole family. They were keeping us safe and in our home.
How did your mentors at John Jay help prepare you for law school?
Dr. Robert Garot’s social stratification course was fundamental to helping me understand society, economic impacts on communities, and the connection between poverty and justice. The papers I wrote in his class deepened my drive to be an advocate for system-impacted people and it was those same papers that formed the backbone of my diversity statement for law school applications. He was also a champion for my success and wrote my recommendation letters.
Dr. Charles Davidson and Elizabeth Broccoli from the Pre-Law Institute were instrumental in my getting into law school. They kept me level-headed and provided me with the tools I needed to succeed. I couldn’t have made it through the application process without them. They set me up with an internship at the Bronx District Attorney’s office, gave me access to free LSAT prep courses and application fee waivers, helped me stay on track with deadlines, reviewed my diversity statement and essays, and made sure I was taking all the right courses. With their support, I applied to 12 law schools and got accepted into eight, including New York Law School which gave me an $18,000 scholarship.
How did your internships prepare you for your future career?
I learned so much from the internship with the major crimes unit at the Bronx District Attorney’s office, including how investigations work. It was my first legal internship. Being able to have the internship under Darcel D. Clark, the first Black woman to be elected to the role in the state’s history, was truly amazing. As an intern, I had the chance to learn how to build a case, listen to calls, decode words used by defendants, and conduct cell site mapping. I also got to attend a lot of trials and shadowed an attorney for several months. As someone who wanted to be a criminal defense attorney, it was helpful to learn how the prosecution side works.
My internship with Councilmember Donovan Richards centered on working with constituents in his district. Part of my role was to perform complaint intakes. I also worked on researching community-based initiatives, like the costs and space for building a new playground in the district. It was great to have an on-the-ground impact at a community level.
What does your day-to-day work at New York County Defender Services entail?
Recently, I had the chance to participate in a lot of Taxi Limousine Commission (TLC) hearings. If a TLC driver gets hit with certain charges their license automatically gets suspended. For a lot of these drivers, their taxi work is their only source of income so when they have their license suspended, the way they support their family is severely impacted. Because these hearings are not criminal or civil cases, the TLC drivers are not entitled to an attorney, but their hearings are set up like trials. The whole process is transcribed, meaning it could be used later in court if needed, and there are witnesses testifying and evidence presented. New York County Defender Services started looking into these hearings and now represents a lot of these drivers. I‘ve done TLC hearings for over a year now and I haven’t lost any of them.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I want to still be at New York County Defender Services, hopefully working homicide cases. I want to help the people who need my assistance and work with communities that often don’t have access to lawyers. I’d also love to be a mentor for Black and brown students aspiring to become lawyers, setting up internship programs, and helping diversify the bar.
