The seventh chapter in a project witnessing and learning more about fellow law students and their motivation behind moving their life & family all the way to Missoula, Montana to pursue their legal education. Meet The Andersons.
My entire life, I was told I should be a lawyer. I have always been independent, strong-willed, and would argue with anyone. I learned at an early age that people weren’t treated fairly, and I wanted to correct the imbalance.
When I got into college, I was fully committed to a pre-law track. The first semester went really well until October when my younger brother was diagnosed with cancer; I was suddenly thrust into the role of a third parent. I prioritized my family over my studies and paid for it with my grades.
I was ready to come back the following fall, but I entered into a very abusive relationship. That relationship and the stress that came with it tore me away from my studies. Once again I found my grades suffering. I withdrew from school and couldn’t see out of the darkness. Every hope I had for one day attending law school died that semester.
4 years later, I was healing from my traumatic experiences and in a healthy and happy relationship. My husband pushed me to go back to school, and I did. I re-enrolled and excelled in my chosen major. All at once, I found myself graduating and debating whether or not to go to graduate school.
My best friend suggested I apply to law school. I was hesitant, but the law still pulled at me. It might be worth a shot. I sat down and thought about whether or not I could do it and I realized that I’d never stopped wanting to correct the imbalance I had been seeing in the world for my entire life. If anything, my life experiences had sharpened my perception of inequities. I applied, was accepted and have never been happier in any decision I have ever made. It took a semester of self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and questioning whether or not everyone in my life had been wrong about me becoming a lawyer, but I have never felt more at home then I do at ABIII.
