from Vanderbilt University Law School – Practicing Law for the Greater Good: Navigating the World of Public Interest Law

While practicing public interest law upon graduation has become more popular amongst law students, it still falls outside of the status quo. Assistant Dean and Martha Craig Daughtrey Director for Public Interest Beth Cruz, in partnership with the Career Services Office, held an informational panel for Vanderbilt Law students interested in practicing public interest law after graduation. They hosted four attorneys working in various areas of public interest law:  

• Mitchell Galloway ‘19: Galloway spent his 1L and 2L summers as a Judicial Intern for a federal judge in the Middle District of Tennessee and a Law Clerk at the United States Attorneys’ Office. After graduation, he joined the Attorney General Honors Program at the United States Department of Justice as a member of their tax division. He now serves as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). 

• Alana Seixas Meyer ‘18: After graduation, Meyer served as a George Barrett Justice Fellow at Children’s Law Center in Kentucky, providing advocacy for children in the juvenile justice system. She now is a Youth Defense Council at The Gault Center, where she defends youth rights and ensures that youth defenders are well equipped to advocate for children nationwide. 

• David Esquivel: Esquivel serves as the Pro Bono Partner for Bass, Berry & Sims, where he dedicates half of his efforts to leading teams in major pro bono cases and overseeing the firm’s pro bono program.  

• Barbara Barreno-Paschall ‘11: Barreno-Paschall launched her law career as an Associate at Sidley Austin in Chicago, moving on to be a Senior Staff Attorney at Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and later Vice Chair and Commissioner of the state of Illinois’s Human Rights Commission. She now works as a Senior Attorney with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. 

The panel offered guidance on how to navigate an interest or passion for public interest law as a current or prospective law student. 

Pursuing Public Interest for Different Reasons  

Although motivations and origin stories varied, the common denominator stayed constant: there is no “right” path to working in public interest law, and no journey is linear. 

Meyer knew she wanted to be a public interest lawyer when she arrived at Vanderbilt. “I was just intrinsically motivated by my experiences,” she said, referring to past internships that exposed her to various areas of public interest law. 

Conversely, Galloway earned a master’s degree in business, aiming for a CPA, before pivoting to law school. He took advantage of his three years at Vanderbilt Law to find his passion. “If you’re open-minded,” he noted, “you can probably find your way into public interest and the fervor for it.”  

While Esquivel was sure he would become a full-time public interest lawyer when he entered law school, he found himself drawn to private firms. “What informed the rest of my career,” Esquivel explained, “is that grounding in my desire to lawyer to effect social change, and looking for a way to do that through the law firm setting.” Barreno-Paschall echoed the sentiment, reflecting on the inspiration she took from historical figures who used the law for positive social change. She expressed that her motivation for public interest comes from “a deep-rooted belief in philosophy, but also this deep sense and commitment to other people and to maintaining the society that we live in.”  

Finding the Right Firm and Balancing Pro Bono Work 

Esquivel reassured law students that “if you choose to go to a law firm, and that’s a career that suits you, you don’t have to check your social interest and your desire for change at the door. Two things can happen at the same place.” Barreno-Paschall agreed, urging students to talk with lawyers at their prospective firms about their pro bono work: “Ask them… Do you have a pro bono matter? What are you working on? Talking to people is very helpful.”  

To balance pro bono work with the other demands of an associate, Esquivel stressed the importance of basic time management skills and finding a firm that encourages their employees to engage in pro bono work. “Most law firms have billable hour credit for pro bono matters… there are structures in place,” he said. Esquivel attributes success and balance as a lawyer to answering the following questions: “How do I structure my time? How can I do the things that are urgent, and how do I communicate to partners and senior associates what my capacity is and when I can do things?” 

Personal Impact on Society 

Public interest law allows attorneys to make and see real change. Esquivel has conducted an abundance of fulfilling work, such as representing four Afghan families who secured asylum when they fled from Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan and to the U.S., calling it “generation-changing work.” Meyer described one particular case involving a 15-year-old facing a 20-year sentence; after three years of relentless effort, the child’s case was transferred back to juvenile court and eventually expunged. She reflected on how rewarding her work is: “every single representation to me has been, really, truly a privilege.”