Kyla Miller: A Writing Portfolio

Personal Statement: Law School

 

I do not know exactly what drove me to stand on that doorstep, only that I knew I needed to put a face to the story. I knocked on the door several times before seeing that face appear out of the second story window. I waved for him to come down and after several more minutes, a timid middle-aged man opened the door. I explained that my friends and I were supposed to move into this home several days ago and I wanted to understand why he refused to move. As he spoke, it became painfully apparent that he had a mental disability. He was confused, overwhelmed, and frightened by the situation, and told me he had nowhere else to go. I then realized he was the victim of a situation that should never have happened in the first place.

 

It all began with an email. In the midst of LSAT studying and working three jobs, the last thing I had time for was a housing crisis. The email read: “Dear future resident, we regret to inform you that there will be a delay in occupancy due to a prior sub tenant refusing to move out of your house. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.” I was initially confused and I certainly did not appreciate the significance of this event and how it would further shape my view of the legal system in such a substantial way.

 

After reading the email, I headed to the library to better understand what this email meant. I was initially shocked to learn that this subtenant was considered a “squatter” and that he had legal rights. From what I read, it could take weeks, even months, to evict him, which would leave all six of us potentially homeless for the first few months of the school year. This was not how I envisioned the beginning of my senior year. I was angry that the law could give rights to someone who was squatting in a house I had legally leased. So I gathered my things and went straight to student legal services to make an appointment with an attorney.

 

The next day I met with the attorney to assess the situation. She advised that our chances of moving in within the month were not promising. She explained that cases like these are often delayed because judges do not want to throw someone out on the street with nowhere else to go. She recommended we wait until the hearing, which the rental company had informed us was scheduled for the following week. In the meantime, she suggested that we begin looking for other housing options.

 

A few days later, after several nights of “couch hopping,” being homeless myself, I found myself on that doorstep. As I spoke with this man, it became evident to me that this entire time I was focused on how I was being inconvenienced, while this man was terrified of what was going to happen to him in the coming months. It was evident that the prior tenants had misinformed him regarding the term of his sublet and when he shared with me that he could not afford to live anywhere else, I realized that I did not need this home any more than he did. At that moment, I recognized that the laws that were protecting this man, as outrageous as they seemed at first, were actually remarkable in that they accounted for unique circumstances like this one. Prior to my visit, it was nearly impossible for me to understand why his rights as a squatter were fair. But looking at that man and seeing his circumstances, his rights became as important to me as to him. The only thing that I hoped for him was that he would be able to fully understand and take advantage of his rights, even if that left me without a home for the first few weeks of school. I learned that the justice system must ideally consider the full complexity of a situation in order to render an equitable decision.

 

My five roommates and I appeared at the hearing, all of us armed with support and resources. In contrast, this man showed up alone. When addressed by the judge, he stood up and said that he would leave the house on his own free will within 24 hours. I was not relieved; instead, I felt sympathy for the man. I came to understand that many times those who need the law most are not aware of their legal rights or do not have access to the representation needed to protect their rights. This man neither understood his rights nor had the means to protect himself. This experience helped me realize just how much I want to become a lawyer.

 

Through my shadowing experience with Jennifer Salvatore, in which she represented the plaintiff in a sexual discrimination hearing, as well as my step father, a labor and employment defense attorney, I discovered that employment rights are much like squatter rights. A person’s rights can only be protected where there is equal access to the law. I want to facilitate access to the judicial system, which has the ability to provide real remedies to real people and give them the power to access agents of authority. I am drawn to employment law in particular because it deals with the complex relationships between people, and I would be able to help those who have been discriminated against in the workplace understand their rights and obtain the justice intended by the law. In addition, I have found that labor and employment law has a unique immediacy to it—I would be able to work closely with my clients, build a relationship, and be able to see directly how my work is affecting them. Growing up seeing the defense side of employment law, I was fascinated by the cases my step father would share with us, but I am grateful I was able to gain knowledge of both sides of the field, and I feel confident that I would make a great labor and employment attorney.

 

Through my anomalous squatter experience, I gained a personal appreciation of law’s role in the everyday lives of citizens and how statues and regulations are only a fraction of the story. Although this legal experience was not in the field that I wish to practice law, the lessons it taught me can certainly apply to labor and employment law as well. Although it initially seemed unlikely, that man taught me much more than he knows. He reaffirmed my desire to become a lawyer.