OPIA Blog

William P. Quigley, Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law has written an eloquent essay entitled “Letter to a Law Student Interested In Social Justice.” In the letter, Professor Quigley assesses the status of social justice law in modern society. Citing real-life examples of both the good and bad aspects of the legal profession, he indicts law schools with paying mere lip service to social justice and public interest work, noting that much of the law as it is practiced involves the transfer of wealth from one group to another. However, he asks students to stay hopeful and remarks that opportunities still exist for those dedicated and willing to make the sacrifice. He speaks optimistically to the students who still remember the true reason why they enrolled in law school and attempts to remind those who may have forgotten. The essay may be read in its entirety here.

In her recent blog post, Kate Sinding, now a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, recounts a dilemma faced by many graduating law students. Citing an episode of “How I Met Your Mother,” Kate discusses a difficult choice faced by one of the characters: take a high-paying job in a private law firm or work for a nonprofit. Kate relates this decision to her own life when, saddled with law school debt, she had to postpone her goal of working for an environmental nonprofit for nearly 9 years. Thanks to shear luck, she stumbled upon a staff attorney listing for NRDC and quickly made her transition. While Kate does not regret her previous life, she can safely say that her current job gives her greater satisfaction and meaning. Her experience shows that one doesn’t have to quit on one’s dreams, even while facing modern financial realities. Read the whole story here.