You see, being a police officer is very different from the way the media portrays us. People see cops on tv usually when they do something heroic or something terrible. But the majority of police officers do not get recognized for what they do daily; help people, counsel people, and be available in someone’s worst times.
I recognized that making arrests and writing summons was just 5—10% of my job. The remaining job was counseling 911-callers by recognizing their problem, advising them what the law is and how I can help them. I enjoyed this part much more than putting someone in jail.
“Well, isn’t this what lawyers do?” I thought to myself. The generic answer was yes. I knew the answer more technical than that, but I decided to do some research and speak to a few people about the profession. After hearing mostly good things, I tapped deeper into my potential and studied for the LSAT late 2013. By the summer of 2014, I committed to Brooklyn Law School’s part time evening program- on a great scholarship. I continued to work full time in the NYPD because like everyone else, I had bills to pay and did not want debt.
Now here I am three years later just 8 credits away from graduating- a semester early and debt free! I’ve also been planning my next move. Since I interned at various small/solo firms in law school and I come from a family of immigrant entrepreneurs, I’ve been inspired to start my own firm soon after the February Bar Exam. My goal is to get some experience and have my firm up and running by the middle to end of 2019 focusing in immigration and matrimonial law. I have been actively looking for a mentor to start in the right direction. This is turning out to be harder than I thought but whether I find one or not, I am beyond excited to begin my journey into the legal profession!