I have been licensed for nearly three years as an attorney and am licensed in both Illinois and Missouri. When COVID-19 took us by storm in early 2020, I was a “baby lawyer” working as an independent contractor for a Chicago-based criminal and civil rights firm. Shortly after Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a statewide “Stay-at-Home” order, that professional relationship ended and I was left with my own firm, with little practice experience in my current field and watching countless CLE (Continuing Legal Education) presentations in my living room on a day-to-day basis. Thus, in a few short weeks, I went from specific practice areas to “anything I am competent to do while the courthouses are closed” practice and it was not an easy transition. 

The most difficult part of being a young, solo practitioner was the fact that I happened to be the only lawyer anyone my age knew. I received countless referrals, assisted various friends, family members, and classmates, as well as members of the community. Sounds great and fruitful, right? Wrong. As a young, social justice and equity-minded, fresh out of law school idealist, I did not like to charge people money for my services. One of my favorite sayings was, “I want people to have access to counsel and the courts without charging an arm and both legs.” (I stopped using this phrase after I subsequently broke both of my legs in a car accident in December 2020. ) This proved to be a very unworkable business strategy, which resulted in me reprising my previous role as a part-time security guard to keep the bills paid. Although I ultimately ended up taking in nearly $25,000 my first year alone (which isn’t too shabby), nearly $20,000 of that went to ordinary business/office expenses. Approximately two months into solo lawyer/security guard, I decided to become an AmeriCorps Attorney VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America). 

Between May 2020 and August 2021, I worked as an attorney for the Civil Rights Legal Aid Program (CRLAP) at First Defense Legal Aid, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization. Our program was designed to address minimal damages civil rights cases that may not be attractive to private attorneys, in an effort to combat some of the injustices committed by law enforcement and other actors of the criminal legal system. We partnered with a few private firms that co-counseled cases with us pro bono, where the experience in many aspects of litigation was invaluable and mutual. While we were unable to help everyone, due to capacity and case viability issues, we negotiated thousands of dollars in settlements for our clients. This opportunity proved very stressful, but also very rewarding and gave me insight on other areas of the law I may seek to explore one day. 

Despite the rewarding aspects of the work, it was not financially sustainable. We received a small stipend of $1100 a month, which was supplemented by security, work with my own firm, and overnight shifts on the FDLA Hotline. The goal of the program was to have us identify with the communities we serve (namely underprivileged communities in Chicago) and so our pay was in line with the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Aside from the work itself, one of the best benefits of doing this work was the option for a cash stipend or an education award that can be applied towards future education or student loans. If you are young and searching for a way to get involved with your community, please consider becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA. 

I have been a staff attorney at ArchCity Defenders in St. Louis, Missouri since May 2021. I am currently practicing criminal and municipal law, and am the coordinator for our RESTART expungement program, where we assist the community with clearing their criminal records at little to no cost to them. While student loans are always a concern, I am committed to remaining a public servant as long as it remains feasible. Thankfully, we have programs like PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) that exist to lift some of the financial burden after a certain number of years. I still have a way to go, but look forward to what the future holds as I continue to navigate the legal profession. 

Do you have an interesting case or topic that you believe the public would love to hear about? We are consistently looking for authors of all walks of life to share legal knowledge and information related to the legal community in our newsletter. You may send your article to bshaw@archcitydefenders.org before the 10th of each month to have your article published in the next edition. Happy writing!