Laura West

A job:

As a recent graduate I've just begun to branch out into the legal avenues of public interest work. Nonetheless, what I've encountered so far has only served to heighten my desire to pursue a legal career working with children and families in my community.

Last updated: August 4, 2012, 8:16 AM  

For the past six years I have dedicated my time and energy to public service in one form or another. Since my junior year of college at the University of California, Santa Cruz, my life has followed a pattern and passion for public interest work by advocating for children and families in a variety of ways, and my commitment to the work shows no signs of ebbing. In fact, my primary motivation for attending law school grew out of a desire to become more effective as an advocate for the populations I worked with – the seed of which was planted when I sat in a courtroom as a support person for a domestic violence survivor, and was unable to speak on her behalf at the very moment that she most needed an effective advocate. From that moment on I knew that I had to work to obtain the skills and credentials necessary to become that advocate, in order to provide others with a voice during some of the most difficult and crucial junctures in their lives.

learning everything she needs to know to pursue her longest-held passion: advocacy and justice for women, children, youth, and families who are caught up in the complications of our legal system.