I came from a family of social activists and became involved myself at the age of fourteen. My underprivileged background and ethnicity made me personally and acutely aware that many people suffer considerable injustices in their working lives, and I wanted to help to minimize those injustices. Initially, I was unsure how I might do so apart from participation in various campaigns. I became deeply involved in several campaigns to improve working conditions and pay for underprivileged and under-represented workers. I was regarded as being very effective in these efforts and took up the offer of employment with one campaigning organization.
My significant voluntary and professional experience involved much liaison with influential and dedicated specialist lawyers, and this has convinced me that I can maximize my own usefulness in my chosen field by acquiring high-level knowledge and skills in the discipline of Labor Law. Ultimately my ambition is to found a non-profit organization to provide excellent legal assistance to workers without access to it.
My voluntary work has involved some successful ‘advocacy.’ For instance, the first campaign in which I was involved related to truck drivers and environmental justice. This was of particular interest to me as my father is a truck driver, and so I was aware of some of the injustices that arise in that industry. I was chosen to advocate for this cause at local town hall meetings and on a higher platform that eventually led me to lobby for the reason in Washington, D.C. It was on this trip to Washington that it first occurred to me that to advocate change successfully, it is necessary to be aware of current laws and the thinking behind their creation.
I was raised by a mother who dedicated her studies to health care and a father who, though highly intelligent, became a truck driver due to economic pressures but who continues to enthusiastically self-educate. Both have been inspirational figures who have inspired in me both a passion for social justice and for learning.
I am aware that those with a passionate desire to further social justice aims can sometimes be highly impatient and dogmatic. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I am convinced that patient determination with a will to put things right in well-considered ways is the most effective route to improvements. I am also convinced that advances in social justice will be more easily achieved by persuading employers of the significant financial advantages to them of a safe, well-paid, and contented workforce than by confrontation. However, I certainly see the latter as an option when faced with unreasonable intransigence.
I am also very conscious of the fact that increasingly rapid advances in technology will have a significant impact on work availability, practices, environments, and the use of labor and that the Labor Lawyer will need to be aware of advances and their potential significance to workers and that this will apply in most industries. As mentioned, my father is a trucker, and I am aware that the use of drones is likely to have an increasing effect on the distribution of goods as the internet has had on the distribution of services.
I have happily studied, worked, and socialized with people of many ethnic and social backgrounds. I enjoy learning about new cultures and sharing information about my own. I am also well-traveled, having visited The Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, in addition to the Dominican Republic. I spent several months in The Ukraine, Turkey, and Poland and was fascinated by the differences in culture, working lives, and social attitudes that I encountered there. I certainly intend to travel as widely as possible in the future. I also take a close interest in the work and reports of the International Labor Organization. I am interested in the potential for greater cooperation between specialists worldwide to identify ‘best practices and successful case law.
I am fully fluent in English and Spanish. I hold two bachelor's degrees in Sociology and African Studies. I excelled academically and gained commendable results in my studies to date, and I intend to do so again, if selected to join the program. My passion for the subject, underpinned by natural characteristics of intellectual curiosity, diligence, and perseverance in all my endeavors, will, I am convinced, enable me to excel within the program. I also believe that my voluntary and professional background is highly relevant to the program and will allow me to ‘add value’ by sharing the fruits of that work. I also look forward to receiving the benefit of the experiences of my fellow students.
I have carefully researched the programs available with the criteria of an impressive faculty, a challenging but supportive academic environment, and externship opportunities. I have concluded that your own program is an ‘excellent fit.
The program I join must provide a challenging but supportive academic environment, and it is for this reason that I am making an application for this program.
I can assure the reader of a determination to participate in the program with exceptional diligence and enthusiasm, if selected, and I thank you for considering my application.