Defending a Neo-Nazi (First Draft)

As I sat across from the snarling muscular gentleman with the wide variety of tattoos adorning his face, arms, and chest, I did my best to maintain my focus. Just two days into my internship with the Public Defender’s Office, and I was already visiting the local jail to interview newly acquired clients. Doing my best to look past the massive swastika on his forearm, I attempted to create rapport, “My name is George and I’m here on behalf of the Public Defender’s Office. Before we begin, I just wanted to say I am very excited to work with you and— “’Less he’s gettin’ me out, GET THIS F***ING CLOWN OUTTA MY FACE,” was what Mr. Carter shouted to the guard before I could finish my spiel. I took that as my cue to cut our appointment short.

I left the jail feeling embarrassed and defeated. I expressed my concerns to my supervisors. They cautioned me to not be discouraged and “frustrated” clients were the norm. Their support aside, I fully expected Mr. Carter would refuse to meet with me again or, more likely, be so uncooperative as to make our sessions absolutely useless. Even as I recognized that the client’s anger was most likely a result of a combination other factors rather than just my presence, the self-confidence I had cultivated over the years through my successes academically, socially, and professionally. Suddenly, none of that seemed to matter in my current position and I felt ill-equipped to face the challenge. Back at the office as I read through Mr. Carter’s file, I discovered his life was one of hardship with multiple interactions with the law from a young age and no stable home life. While not necessarily an excuse for his behavior, it made me realize how silly it would be to pity myself when there was a client who needed and deserved my best; especially when he was facing the possibility of a long incarceration. It was a humbling experience, yet a motivating one.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I was a man on a mission. Every free moment I had, I strove to in some way make as much progress on the case as I could in my role as an aide. In addition to the other cases I was assigned, I worked strenuously to stay apprised of every new detail involving the case. Sifting through Police Reports, mind-numbing, eye-straining discovery projects, analyzing volumes of depositions, I stayed in the office as long as the attorneys would let me. As a Midwesterner raised by hard-working Southerners, I had been trained to believe that all challenges in life could be conquered with perseverance, hard-work, and a game plan. When you clearly identify your goal, the next step is to map-out and execute the steps need to achieve your objective. With this as a framework, I began to view the case assignment, and my internship, as if it were a complex machine through which I played an important albeit smaller role.

Rather than making the mistake of simply attacking each assignment as it came, I sat down and devised a detailed roadmap that would make my workload more manageable and effectively allow me to become a more effective aide. Before each case, I would analyze the background file of each potential client before my first intake interview. Second, I would request the court docket as early as possible to provide the lead attorneys the proper materials necessary to facilitate timely court appearances and leave me more time to research at the office. Finally, I developed positive relationships with officials in the jail and they in turn assisted me in dealing with “problem” prisoners. With this plan laid out, I was able to avoid wasted time and was successful in helping to make the legal process move just a bit more smoothly on “our” side.

Months later after Mr. Carter had stood trial, after the prosecutor made his promise to "make an example" of our client, and after many in the community had judged and convicted our client in the court of public opinion, the verdict was returned: not guilty. It must have been truly a sight to see a jubilant black male celebrating an Aryan Nation-supporting individual avoiding incarceration. Though he still refused to shake my hand even after the verdict, I remained thankful for the experience.

A career in the law is far from glamourous, but then as now, the grind of legal field is what draws me to law school. As evidenced by multiple interactions similar to Mr. Carter’s, my efforts will not always be appreciated or welcomed. However, I still desire to be in a position which I can operate at the cross-section of lofty ideals and the gritty day-to-day work that is necessary to help the accused find the justice they deserve.

Herbert,

You’ve made such a great start on your personal statement, and I’m so excited to work with you. I love this story.

Your essay is about overcoming a challenge, which you set up in the first two paragraphs: you are defending a man who doesn’t want to be defended by you. The rest of your essay explains how you overcame that challenge: “perseverance, hard-work and a game plan.”

The problem is that your solution—perseverance, hard work and a game plan—seems to solve a different problem: an overwhelming work load. Your essay contains a narrative bait and switch.

You can solve this problem by articulating the challenge more clearly and rethinking the solution.

Let’s start with the challenge. The situation you set up in the first paragraph is obviously difficult, but you never quite articulate the challenge. I can infer several:

1. The psychological challenge of defending the rights of someone who would curtail yours.
2. The challenge of an overwhelming workload.
3. The challenge of defending someone who doesn’t want your help, whom you might not be able to help, and who undermines your self-confidence.

Your first task is to identify the challenge in a single sentence. To my mind, 1 and 3 are the most interesting. You might be able to combine them.

Once you’ve identified the challenge, you’ll want to rethink how you solve it. The solution might include hard work, and it might include empathy (which you do a fantastic job of showing in the second paragraph), but it also might involve an attitude adjustment.

I want you to rewrite your essay. The first two or three paragraphs should develop the challenge; the rest of them should explain how you overcame that challenge.

Make sure the first paragraph lays out the dilemma clearly. You should tell the reader that you’re a black man. Tell us what it feels like to defend a white supremacist. You should key in on the most challenging aspect (again, either the moral yuckiness or the hit to your self-confidence).

Summary of My Recommendations

1. Identify the main challenge in a single sentence.
2. Identify how you overcome that challenge.
3. Rewrite your essay.

Let me know if you have any questions!