Amy, 3L

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I was struck this week by how much Boston has become home over the past year and a half. I really feel like I'm part of a community here, both through NUSL and Tufts, but also through other friends and people I've met in my new neighborhood. If anyone is worried that Boston seems too big to make a home in, I'd encourage you to come visit and challenge that notion.

One drawback to the JD/MPH program: my law school friends just finished their finals, while I'm just gearing up for mine. I don't have any actual exams, though, so maybe I still get the last laugh. OK, back to my Health Communications project...

Posted by Amy at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After only 2 months in the MPH program, we already have to start planning our Master's thesis project. This is one of those moments where it seems crazy to me that we're doing this on top of law school. The deal is that we have a few months to plan, and then implement our projects during our first academic quarter back at NUSL. I'm a little overwhelmed, but we're getting good support and advice from our advisor and previous JD/MPH students. I am excited about this, though; it's an experiential thesis project as opposed to spending a year in the library doing research. And anything that lets me get out of the library is a good thing.

Posted by Amy at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I get asked this question a lot. I usually mumble something about government agencies, policy work, or non-profit orgs, but I often find myself wondering what that really means. Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Health Law Advocates annual benefit breakfast. HLA is a large non-profit here in Boston, a sort of collective of pro bono attorneys. It was such a relief to see people making a professional life out of work that positively influences others' lives. The keynote speaker was a Juvenile Court judge who spoke about HLA attorneys’ work as mental health guardian ad litems for juvenile defendants. After spending the summer co-oping in the Boston Juvenile Court, I know how important mental health advocates are for children in trouble. This intersection of health and legal advocacy are the kinds of situations I want to seek out (or create). That's why I chose the dual-degree program. (I realize I answered a different question than the original one, but I'm going to be a lawyer, so that's a valuable skill.)

Posted by Amy at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like everyone else in America, my thoughts have been dominated by last night's election. I think I’m experiencing some post-election letdown. I was actually a little surprised by how emotional last night was for most people. The history of the moment finally hit me, and yes, I'll admit it, I cried. As a biracial woman, I'm aware of the many sacrifices others have made so that I could even go to the polls yesterday, let alone those who paved the way for Barack. My 85-year-old grandfather got so excited that he had to go get his oxygen tank! He truly never expected to see a black president in his lifetime.

So what does this have to do with law school? I'm getting there. As I sat there listening to the "Yes We Can" chants, I started to think "now what?" There are no more rallies, no more exit polls, no more Sarah Palin SNL skits (although I'm still crossing my fingers on this last one). It's been a long race, and I am glad it's over, but now the real work begins. And I'm not talking about Obama. I'm talking about what we need to accomplish within our own spheres of influence.

Most of you reading this either are or will soon be attending law school. That's an opportunity that most people will not have, and one that I'm grateful for (even though sometimes it feels more like punishment then a privilege). I believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. We have a responsibility to use the opportunities we're given to help others less fortunate and fight injustice. We will have knowledge and tools (and hopefully jobs) to open doors and make change of our own. So no matter which candidate you support, please keep this in mind when choosing a law school.

If you agree with what I've written, NUSL could be the perfect place for you. If you think I sound like a tree-hugging hippie (which of course I do because it's only the first day after the election), then NUSL could also be the right place for you. There are other students here who would agree with you, and at least one of them also writes a blog on this site. And he happens to be a good friend of mine, so I can say that.

See, it was only mostly off-topic…

Posted by Amy at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)