AVP / Senior Counsel
JP Morgan Chase
How did you learn about JTB?
I learned about JTB through a colleague, Cherron Harper, who currently volunteers for the program. She told me about the program and advised that there were volunteer opportunities available. I signed up immediately.
What sparked your interest in the law?
As a child, I talked incessantly. My family always joked that I had to become an attorney because I liked to talk and I like to argue. I suppose the seed was planted because I never wanted to be anything else.
What was your experience like and what was your favorite part about volunteering with JTB?
I absolutely loved volunteering for the program. Reviewing the applications and feeling the eagerness of the candidates excited me. My favorite part was conducting the interviews. Meeting my candidates and hearing their stories made me want to cry and I wanted them to know that I would be rooting for them. They were amazing and have already done great thing.
Why are you passionate about JTB’s mission?
I understand the importance of internships and clerkships in obtaining post graduate employment and I also understand the barriers that still exist for minorities. Programs like this are of the utmost importance in creating these opportunities for students who may not otherwise have them. If there is anything I can do to help propel the mission of JTB, I am going to do it because the future and fairness of our legal system depends on it.
What advice do you have for our scholars?
My advice for JTB scholars is to begin everyday with a heart of gratitude. In the practice of law, as in life, there are hard days and days that seem insurmountable, but if you begin each day remembering the things/people you have to be grateful for and remembering your why, you will, no doubt, conquer those hard days.