Episode 2: Sistahs in Law School Pt. 2

Episode Transcript

Charity: [00:00:00]

[00:00:20] Hey, y'all. As promised here's the part two episode, which features a one-on-one interview with Grayson a current law student. She was [00:00:30] unable to make it for the part one interview, so I sat down with her separately to get her insights on experiencing law school. You can take a listen now.   All right, so let's get into it.

[00:00:43]Grayson: [00:00:43] let's do it.

[00:00:46] Charity: [00:00:46] So hi, Grayson. Welcome to the Sistahs in Law podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm excited to get your segment in there, even if it's slightly delayed from the original, but we're [00:01:00] glad to have you.  On the part two.

[00:01:03] Grayson: [00:01:03] On the part two, the part two! Yes. Thank you. Thank you for having me and my apologies for earlier.

[00:01:09]Charity: [00:01:09] Totally fine. I'm glad to have your, you share your story now.  let's start with your name, your year in law school and your origin story. So where are your you and your people?

[00:01:21]Grayson: [00:01:21] Definitely. So my name's Grayson I am a 2L now halfway through. Thank you, Lord. And [00:01:30] I am an Afro-Latina, so my mother is full Puerto Rican. She was born in Puerto Rico and she migrated to New York at a very young age. And my father is Black. He is, from what I know, just a hundred percent African-American I've always been interested in knowing like, you know, historically where we're going.

[00:01:51] I'm a little scared of the ancestry DNA test. So I've been holding off on them. But I think that I probably am going to bite the bullet and do one [00:02:00] soon to see like where my ancestral African roots are from. I've done a little research and I think I have a bit of Ethiopian. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but stay tuned out. I'll find out, and update you.

[00:02:13] Charity: [00:02:13] Yeah. I always like to ask that question and it's very, it's a very Southern question, too, like to ask where you and your people are from just to kind of situate a background of someone in their story a little bit. 

[00:02:26] So from there, how did you go [00:02:30] about deciding which law school you wanted to attend?

[00:02:32] Grayson: [00:02:33] Oh, that's a good question. So I kind of siloed myself a bit because I was living in New York already. I was already working up here. So I was born in New York and I moved to Florida at a young age and I was raised almost entirely in South Florida. I went to college down there. and I love South Florida.

[00:02:52] It's an amazing place, but I knew that like I wanted to come back to New York. I would spend a lot of time here , during summers and school breaks. And I have a lot of [00:03:00] family up here and I knew for sure that I wanted to come back to New York. and I knew that this was like, probably a great place to start your legal career.

[00:03:10]So after I graduated, I came back up here and I started working and I knew I wanted to go to law school. I just, you know, kind of a scared at first of like the LSAT and the whole process.So I worked and I got some experience and then finally I was like, okay, I want to go to school now.

[00:03:28] I kind of only applied [00:03:30] to New York schools. And I, I don't know if that's that works for some people like myself. I don't recommend that definitely broaden your horizons as much as, you can accomplish so much everywhere, but it was definitely, a limited choice and. I got into Cardozo and I thought, wow , like, okay, this is honestly, Cardozo was not on my radar.

[00:03:55] Like it wasn't, Oh, this is where I want to go. this is, Where I want to be, but [00:04:00] I visited and I got a good vibe from it.I liked, the people that I met, the professor who, gave me like a tour and showed me around she was really like, informative and nurturing and definitely gave me like a great vibe.

[00:04:16] So I was like, Oh, this is a great place. And I like it. And that's how I ended up there. I didn't really get that same vibe from any other school that I visited. so I was like, okay, this is cool. [00:04:30] This will do the job.

[00:04:31] Charity: [00:04:31] Wow! And the rest is history.

[00:04:33] Grayson: [00:04:33] And the rest is history. Yeah.

[00:04:35] Charity: [00:04:35] That's amazing.In like contemplating law school. And also once you got to the actual application stage, what were some of your preconceived notions going into law school?

[00:04:48]Grayson: [00:04:48] Let's see. I'm trying to think back to that time. So I knew that I wanted to go to law school for a very long time. I would say [00:05:00] probably since I was maybe like 11 or 12, I knew that I wanted to go to law school. And I'll admit, I didn't know, all that, that entailed at that time. And even really, until I got into it, I didn't know all that it entailed.

[00:05:13] And  definitely you really don't learn a lot about law school until you're in law school. 

[00:05:18]Charity: [00:05:18] So true.

[00:05:19] Grayson: [00:05:19] That is such like, and then we could have 10 episodes on just like things that you learned that you just, nobody knows until they get there. and especially for [00:05:30] minority and students of color. There's just so many things that you just don't know until you get there, no matter who you speak to ahead of time.

[00:05:37] And so I think that, Thinking about law school. I thought it was going to be fine. I thought it was going to be great. Like I thought I was okay. You know, like it's it's school, I've been to school all of my life and I've done well in school, all of my life. So why would this be any different, right?

[00:05:55]This is what I want to do. I have a passion for this. Why wouldn't it be any [00:06:00] different? So I thought it was going to be fine. And then I got there and I was like, Oh no, this is not, I was like, Oh wait, this is not at all. And I thought it was gonna be and so I thought that and then I thought that it was going to be, a more diverse and inclusive profession which not to say that it it's not better than it once was, but it definitely, you realize that there are a lot of barriers to entry and you realize that you, you [00:06:30] know, I have an opportunity that a lot of people don't have and how I use that is very important and how I use my voice and how I, develop and just grow into this is very important.

[00:06:41] And I don't want to say I took that for granted coming in, but I definitely learned very soon on that this is not a space for women like us. This is not a space for minorities, for, you really have to like force yourself and make your space there. and so I didn't know that going in.

[00:07:00] [00:07:00] So I wouldn't say it was a preconceived notion, but I didn't know that going in. And I wish that I would've. Because it probably would have saved me a lot of time kind of going and learning initially. So yeah, I think that's probably a bit of, what I was thinking going in and then the reality of what actually happened.

[00:07:19] Charity: [00:07:19] Everything that you said is so true, like law school is this behemoth of an idea. And then once you experience it, you have a completely different reality. And [00:07:30] especially for first gen students, they don't know what to expect going into professional school  at all. So off of that what advice do you have for those contemplating law school or even who were at the application stage?

[00:07:46]What advice would you give them?

[00:07:48] Grayson: [00:07:49] Definitely, you know, do your research I think one of the things that I didn't do is I didn't speak to enough current students of color. if you are a student of color, if you're a woman of [00:08:00] color seek out, People who are experiencing what you want to experience and see what their true experiences like.

[00:08:08]I think a lot of schools, especially, PWI, they tote out their their diverse. students and it's of course when they're representing the school, they are,in a position where they want to say positive things about the school and that's great. But you know, have, those one-on-ones outside of those, things set up phone calls with people outside of [00:08:30] that so you could really get the true raw experience that people are having. And just know that, if you are going to do this, it's definitely, a privilege to do this. And you are going to be faced with a lot of barriers to entry, whether it is even just getting into law school in itself is a barrier.

[00:08:50] there's barriers there. And you're going to find that there's barriers for literally everything else you want to do whether it's finding a job, finding an internship. even [00:09:00] clinics and law reviews and activities within the school, there's going to be barriers there.

[00:09:05] And so you're really going to have to, make sure that you're ready to break those barriers down. if you want, I know people who go into law school, they're just there. They don't have any interest in, in, really. I guess pushing it, but definitely, if that's what you want, you can do it.

[00:09:22]And you just have to be prepared that it is going to, you are going to have to work twice as hard to get half of what everybody else [00:09:30] gets. and that's kind of, you know, something that I tell myself very often is that I do have to work twice as hard to get half the opportunities that say somebody whose dad is a partner at a major firm.

[00:09:42]You know , it's, it's a sad reality, but it's true. Right? Like those people, they don't have that same struggle to find jobs that same struggle to, to even just do well in law school. Right. Because when you're somebody who is a second, third, fourth generation lawyer, you know what [00:10:00] to expect for the most part coming in, What you're going to be graded like the people you're going to be surrounded by the classes you need to take things like that. And so definitely seek out people who are on the same path as you, who you can, form real solid relationships with, because I can tell you that I probably would not be, I guess I don't want to say successful cause I really don't feel like I'm, you know, as successful as I want to be in law school.

[00:10:27] But you know, I really don't feel like I would make it [00:10:30] through law school without the community that I've built without meeting you, meeting everybody else that I've met. And,you telling me like, Hey, Grayson, that professor was like, Ugh, not really that great, or this class was amazing. Take it! Or, these are some opportunities. Look at these internships. This is what I did. And so that's really important. And so I feel like I went off on a tangent there, but

[00:10:51]Charity: [00:10:51] An important tangent!

[00:10:53] Grayson: [00:10:53] An important one, but yeah, it's definitely, yeah, it's, that's just advice for people who [00:11:00] are, even just beyond the application process, that's I guess all the important things that you need to know after you get into law school.

[00:11:08]Charity: [00:11:08] Yeah. And honestly, speaking of that, let's flash back to your pre-1L days that even an hour before you made it to the school to get to orientation. What would you tell you're just about to start law school before any classes before the orientation 1L self ? What advice would you give her?

[00:11:29] [00:11:30]Grayson: [00:11:30] Well, first of all, I wouldn't have worn the blazer that I wore. On the first day

[00:11:35] Charity: [00:11:35] Not the blazer.

[00:11:37] Grayson: [00:11:37] Not that I did not, like I walk, I did not know what to expect. So like it was orientation, but I was like, do I bring a backpack? Do I not bring a backpack? Do I bring my books?I don't know what's going to happen. And so that's definitely something that I probably would have told myself, but I would have told myself like, Hey, you got this right?

[00:11:54] Like you belong here. You, you know, I think. imposter syndrome, something that, I'm sure [00:12:00] got thrown around a lot today on the round table and I think that it's something that, you know, even. With all successes that come, you still feel an imposter syndrome. And I would tell myself like, Hey, like you got this, you you know, it may not be what you think it's going to be, but you'll push through and you'll get through it.

[00:12:19]And that's really probably what I would have told myself because there have been many, a days where I've just like, In tears over law school and how stressful it can be and [00:12:30] how, you know, am I doing the right thing? Is this the right place? Am I putting myself into this much debt? And is there going to be a payoff, a positive thing.

[00:12:38] And I would tell myself like, yes you're doing the right thing. You're doing what you want to do, what you're passionate about and all that other background noise, just, shut it out.

[00:12:49] Charity: [00:12:49] Wow. Yeah. That's those are some gems right there. Just in in one question.   And now we're in this moment where everything is digital and law [00:13:00] school is a very unique experience that really hinges on in-person relationships and in-person connections. So how would you describe your experience of doing law school online and specifically like Zoom school of law?

[00:13:17]Grayson: [00:13:17] Wow. So it, I must've made at first. I I think I struggled a lot with a lot of anxiety and probably a little bit of depression towards the start of the pandemic. so I [00:13:30] remember we went in the middle of March. I'm in the middle of the semester. I was already taking classes with professors that like, I just.

[00:13:37]Did not like it just wasn't clicking. And so you throw that into a remote environment where they didn't really have time to prepare for it. So, you know, that semester compared to say, I would say this recent fall semester was a total, 180. So it just wasn't at first it was not good.

[00:13:55] I had no motivation to get anything done. Like I wasn't, Motivated to [00:14:00] study for finals. I wasn't motivated to read, I wasn't motivated for anything. and I do think, I don't know if it affected my performance because we did do pass fail. So, you know, it was what it was.

[00:14:10] And I was fortunate for that in the long run, because I was like, okay, I'm happy that at the very least, if it's pass fail, like I could show up, give some effort and I'll be fine. But  I really had to sit down with myself this summer and say the reality is that this is the new reality.

[00:14:28] And whether I [00:14:30] want it to be, or not, I have to make sure that I put an effort in, you know,as a going into 2L we were in a unique position because we weren't being , um, because like our grades essentially counted this semester. As they would have if we were you know 1Ls. So it was very important, especially because, like we didn't go through the on-campus interview process yet, so we're still, we have to find jobs now and things like that.

[00:14:55] And so going into this semester, I knew okay, this is a very [00:15:00] important semester. how I do here could really dictate the type of jobs that I can get, the type of connections and internships that I can land. and that's. That sucks, honestly, because it's kind of like, you know, you sometimes feel like, okay, I just have to put my mental health to the side and really buckle down on this.

[00:15:18] But I would say, me prepping myself forward and coaching myself, having, those really internalized conversations with myself, it really prepared me I think this semester to a point where like, it almost [00:15:30] became like a, I don't even want to go back in person and This is what it is.

[00:15:33] Like I have made myself comfortable. I got myself a new desk area in my apartment like I set myself up with like double monitors, like I got used to it. And I think that speaks to the adaptability that comes with being a law student. Like you sometimes are thrown into these situations where you're like, I will never survive this.

[00:15:54] This is literally the worst thing in the world. And that's how I felt like I was like, this is the worst thing in the [00:16:00] world. what am I paying all this money for? Like, and they say most people too,if you're going to leave law school, leave it after the first year. And so I had those thoughts , like, am I, should I even continue on with this?

[00:16:10] Whatever money I've lost, like I'll just call it an L and move on with my life and find something else. And then I'd have to stop and say no, don't doubt yourself. Like you're doing this, this is what it is. You're going to do it. You're going to get through it. And having those conversations with myself really, put me in a position where I was like, okay, I'm going to grind, like no distractions.

[00:16:30] [00:16:29] I, you know, I don't have any of like the social things that I had to do last year. There's no excuse for me not to try to make the best of this. And so that's what I did. I made the best of it. It got. I guess a lot better this semester, the professors I think were more prepared. they had Zoom trainings and things like that.

[00:16:47] So they did, the best that they could. And I appreciated that because it did make the semester a bit more bearable.

[00:16:55] Charity: [00:16:55] Wow. That's amazing that you're able to pull through such a [00:17:00] tremendous year. Not even tremendous tumultuous. That's the better word.

[00:17:05] Grayson: [00:17:05] It was definitely tough, but I think that, you know, the silver lining in it is that,I'm doing exactly what I want to do, what I've planned a great amount of my life. towards wanting to do and, and that's it. And so whether it's Zoom School of Law or going in person, or, whatever, if I had to go to space to go to law school, like I'm going to, I'm going to make it happen at this point.

[00:17:26] And that's what I have to continue telling myself is that you're gonna, [00:17:30] whatever needs to be done, whatever is the means to the end like you have to do it.

[00:17:34] Charity: [00:17:34] I love the tenacity. Speaking of that, how do you maintain boundaries with life in law school, but also like general life and law school boundaries, even if you weren't online all the time, if you were in person. How did you maintain?

[00:17:53] Grayson: [00:17:53] Um, so that's like really tough because I feel that when you're a law student, like that's [00:18:00] everything, right? there's no, it's really hard to like compartmentalize everything cause you feel. At least for me personally I feel like.you're always drowning, right? Like it's if there's not readings to do, then there's jobs to apply for, then there's a clinic to do, or there's a note to write for this, or, whatever the case.

[00:18:20] And it's like, you always feel like that sense of guilt every time you want to go and do something personal for yourself, right. Oh , well, you know, Oh , well, I'm not going to do a face mask this [00:18:30] week because I need to read, A hundred pages for this class, or I'm not going to do this because I need to do, this for law school.

[00:18:37] And so for me, I had to really just map out time on my calendar for the things that I want to do. So whether it's, My boyfriend and I, we have a standing Friday night date night. So no matter what. Yeah. So no matter what, like we always get together on Friday nights. And, he works full -time.

[00:18:57] He's in business school. So for [00:19:00] him, it's, it's also, I understand too, that he also has a lot of stress going on in his professional life as well. And so for us, that's very important. I would say family's a bit harder because I'm first generation and for me, it's, I feel not a sense of guilt for being away from them, but almost like, you know, It's hard.

[00:19:21] Say, I don't want to say that they don't understand, but you know, my mom doesn't get sometimes why she calls me at 2:30 in the afternoon and I don't answer. [00:19:30] Right. And she doesn't get it. She's like, what do you mean? Like you're what do you mean? You're busy? like she just doesn't get it sometimes and that's been especially difficult recently. Because, so we found out that she has a melanoma. So that's been especially difficult because I feel not guilty for being away cause she lives in Florida, but it's I want to be more present. I want to be more, you know, there and.

[00:19:53]I think a lot of it falls on me to make sure like, Hey, you know, how was your doctor's appointment? Like I have to call the insurance company. [00:20:00] Like I have to do all of these things for you to make sure that she's fine. And she's good. And so that's really difficult because I found out towards the end of the semester.

[00:20:09] And so like all of everything went out the window when it came to law school. And so it was difficult to really like study and difficult to really maintain, focus and everything.   Good news is she's going to be fine. So yeah. Yeah. She's going to be fine. And so it's good, but. It was so, you know, it was a very scary time because I was like, forget all of [00:20:30] this.

[00:20:30] This is where my priorities needs to be. And so I say that all to say, is that no matter how much you try to compartmentalize, no matter how much you try to do it, there are going to be times where you feel really overextended. There's going to be times where you feel like, you get that sense of guilt.

[00:20:47] And I think that, That's something that, that women are just gonna feel overall. Women of color are going to feel overall and in multiple spaces, not even in law school,as we go on and into our careers, as we [00:21:00] choose to have families, as we choose to, do all of these things, we are going to often feel.

[00:21:05]You know that sense of guilt. I speak to my sister a lot who has three kids, three daughters, and she feels a sense of guilt often when she wants to go do something for herself. AndI think that as we go and we do these things and we choose to do these things for ourselves. You have to remind yourself why you're choosing to do these things and why it's important.

[00:21:26] And for me, my, why is, I want to break these generational [00:21:30] curses. I want to have generational wealth in my family. I want to set an example for my nieces and my nephew. I want to do all of these things for my family. And I need to get better with knowing, like at the end of the day, You can have these boundaries.

[00:21:45] Yes. But remember why you're doing it. Remember why it's important to you and try to be as present as possible when you can be. But at the same time, you're doing this for yourself. You're doing this for your family. And eventually [00:22:00] the payoff is going to be there.

[00:22:02] Charity: [00:22:02] Wow. I really appreciate you being that vulnerable with me. that was so amazing. And you never know, like when you're open and you share things, you don't know who you may touch and that could definitely help someone hearing your story.  So let's transition to school itself.

[00:22:20] What activities are you involved in? And what experiences have been pivotal in your law school experience so far?

[00:22:28]  Grayson: [00:22:29] So [00:22:30] I'm trying to think what actually am I involved in? So I just finished a field clinic with the New York City Law Department. And I'm interested in employment law. I don't, I don't think I've said that yet. So I'm interested in employment law. that's just something that I feel like I knew that coming into law school, that I was interested in that area.

[00:22:47] So I've been trying to tailor my academic and like clinical experiences towards that area. So I just wrapped up a field clinic with the law department. That was great. Extracurriculars I'm on law [00:23:00] review. I am the academic chair for the Black Law Students' Association. I am the secretary general for the Minority Law Students' Alliance.

[00:23:11] And I am the events coordinator for the Labor and Employment Law Society. Oh, and I'm a TA, I was forget that I'm a TA for legal writing. I do definitely have my hands full, but

[00:23:22] Charity: [00:23:22] Yes, you're a busy woman.

[00:23:25] Grayson: [00:23:25] Yeah. Pivotal experiences definitely being a part of BLSA. I [00:23:30] think that is and MLSA too. I think that is.

[00:23:34]where community is found community is very important in law school. And, you want to make sure that you're surrounding yourself by people who, have good energy, who, you could really have conversations with and have those candid conversations with about experiences, 

[00:23:51] And it's good because I've met people where like, you know, Like I've said, and I will say this a million times law school is a very isolating experience and,  [00:24:00] Sometimes I may have felt like, Oh, like I can't really speak to anybody about this because I don't really think people are going to get it.

[00:24:05] I don't really think people are gonna understand , like, everybody seems like they're doing fine. Is it just me? Am I the only one who feels like they're failing all the time, but then, you know, I have this community, I have BLSA behind me and, shout out to Victoria and CJ. They've been such good friends to me throughout this and any other friends as well that I've met, who I've been able to just have a conversation with and realize like, Oh, okay. [00:24:30] So, you know, like we just both feel this way and okay. let's figure out why we're feeling this way and how we're going to get better and tackle these feelings and these emotions.

[00:24:39] So that I think is most pivotal is building those communities through those organizations   . Establishing relationships is important because it's important to have people who you can connect with. It's important to have people who are, on the same page as you, but also it's important to, find people who want to like enact change.

[00:24:58] Um, you know, you know, [00:25:00] the statistics Charity, like 5% of lawyers are black, 2% are black women. And so it's important to, you know, I truly feel that changing the legal profession also comes with changing the law school experience. Right. And it, and so it comes from even just, admitting more students of color into your institutions, making sure that students of color also have that opportunity once they're there right.

[00:25:26] The opportunity to be successful. And so I would say like [00:25:30] working to try to implement things at Cardoz that there aren't, systemic barriers present has been pretty, I think important to me and making sure that we're doing what we can. So that every student of color that comes after us knows that their place is there, they belong there and those opportunities are there for them.

[00:25:51]Charity: [00:25:51] Yeah, that's important. And you mentioned that you're part of law review, which is like a very prestigious opportunity to have while [00:26:00] in law school yet there's very few people of color that generally get that experience. And at Cardozo is not very many Black. students that have that opportunity, but you are one of them.

[00:26:12] So how would you describe your experience on such a prestigious journal and like having those connections to that experience?

[00:26:21] Grayson: [00:26:21] Yeah. So , um, it was a struggle to get there. as you know , um, it was definitely a struggle to get there. [00:26:30] And of course, with getting there, you feel the constant. what am I doing here? Do I belong here? All of the things that I talked about before that didn't change when I got there. but I think that the people on law review are very well-intentioned and I think that they do want to create a space that is more open and more diverse and more inclusive.

[00:26:53]And I think that it's important that me as somebody who is there, I have to work from within [00:27:00] to ensure that those same barriers that I discussed that are present in literally every other aspect of law school are broken down. And so I do feel like the true change does come from within. and I struggled a bit when I got my invitation to law review , um. Struggled like, you know, do I even want to do this?

[00:27:20] You know, you feel not that you're a token, but like, you know, do I even want to do this? Like, I don't, I don't feel like  I'll add much value to this, but [00:27:30] I've had conversations with, with friends and family about this and they were like, you need to do this.

[00:27:35] it's not a matter of want. you need to do this, you need to be in the space. We need to be at these spaces to ensure that we're changing. And so , um, overall my experience has been good. I'm writing about a topic that I'm really excited about. I'm getting to do research on something that I'm really excited about.

[00:27:53] And I think that, it's a good foot forward and I'm looking forward to setting the tone [00:28:00] and letting people know that this is a space that is available to us and we can utilize it. And like I said, I'm hoping that there is long-term change when it comes to allowing students of color in these spaces.

[00:28:14] Charity: [00:28:14] Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to pursue that trajectory of being on a journal or even trying to be on something like law review?

[00:28:24]Grayson: [00:28:24] Yeah. I think definitely grades are important. That's what they say., that's the starting point. Grades [00:28:30] are important once you're there or really once you decide that's something that you want to do, talk to people who are there, right. Talk to people , um, students of color who are there, although it may be few, but talk to them about their experience, even see if it's something that you want to do.

[00:28:47] You know, I have friends who were like, no I don't want to be on law review. I don't want to be on a journal. I want to do this, or I want to do that. And that's totally fine. Whatever [00:29:00] is your prerogative, whatever is your desire, go for it. Don't let anybody tell you that something's impossible.

[00:29:07]Right? After I got my first semester grades back, I swear to God, I was like law review is an impossibility. Even going into the writing competition. I was like, law review is an impossibility. And they, you know, you oftentimes feel that way, but it's not an impossibility. there's no reason why...  I feel like if law review had an unlimited amount of seats or an unlimited amount of people who would be on it, [00:29:30] everybody could be on it.

[00:29:31] There's nothing special or extraordinary about being on a journal. It's it is prestigious ,yes, but it doesn't mean that not everybody can do it. If that makes sense, right? If it's all about, if you have the desire to do it, and if you have the desire to do it, go for it, shoot for the stars.

[00:29:53] Charity: [00:29:53] You can't force anyone into a specific path. And in law school, we feel like we have to do [00:30:00] certain things like it's mandated almost for us. 

[00:30:03] Grayson: [00:30:03] And don't feel that way. And especially for like post-career things, right? I've met many people who were, in law school or who had, who have had very successful careers rather who weren't on law review Who knew that they wanted to do Moot Court. They did Moot Court.

[00:30:18] And then they ended up being, just as equally successful as somebody who was on law review or who was on. another journal. And so I don't think that it, dictates your path. I mean, it might be [00:30:30] easier, but it doesn't mean that you can't attain the same level of success doing something else.

[00:30:35] And so I guess my advice is know that you really want to do it. Know that, if it is something that you want to do do it But know that, there's going to be barriers, just like there's barriers with everything else and, just work to make it a better place than when you found it.

[00:30:51] Charity: [00:30:51] Yeah, that's a very important point. So Continuing to post-grad goals and where you see your career. What [00:31:00] do you envision yourself self doing within the next decade. This can be like your vision board for success or the field of law you want to hopefully practice in, anything that you see as your trajectory.

[00:31:14] Grayson: [00:31:14] That's so difficult because it's like... I don't... I just, I'm more of like a where the opportunity takes me. So like where wherever I end up is wherever I'm going to end up. But hopefully fingers crossed, I end up with a post-grad job [00:31:30] at a firm. And I hope that professionally I'm just able to continue learning, continue growing.

[00:31:40] I think ultimately like I'd like to go in house somewhere. So, you know, I did a summer internship at ViacomCBS. that's the dream is to go into a large company like that. ,I loved the work that I did. I loved, just the people that I met, the people that I was surrounded by. So I think that's real goals is, just being [00:32:00] happy and content in what it is that I do, no matter what it is or where it is.

[00:32:07] Yeah. And and I would love to stick with employment law. Maybe venture out into some other areas. I have been considering some other areas.I just want to be a subject matter expert in as much as I can. And yeah that's pretty much it.

[00:32:27] Charity: [00:32:27] Yeah, that's really cool. [00:32:30] And I like to end each episode with a question who is your Sistah in Law, and this can be a fellow colleague, a mentor, your bestie from law school or any legal queen that inspires you.

[00:32:44] Grayson: [00:32:46] Um , well, I have to shout out Victoria, because I feel like, she's been such a good friend to me. Shout out you, I really feel like I've made so many Sistahs in Law throughout law school. [00:33:00] You were my mentor last year. That was great through BLSA. I've met just so many, so I'm going to shout out them all. Like all every woman that I've met , specifically women of color, who I've met through this journey. Thank you! All of you guys have impacted me and given me, just such insightful advice and friendship and companionship that it definitely, I could not have made it through law school to this point, without, [00:33:30] everybody that I met, I feel I'm the type of person where I feel like every single person that you meet served some type of value in your life.

[00:33:35] Whether it's positive or negative. And so for me having the opportunity to meet people, I do feel like I've gained nothing but positive from that.

[00:33:45]Charity: [00:33:45] That's amazing! We had such a love fest at the end of part one episode and everyone was like, we can't name just one. There's too many.

[00:33:56] Grayson: [00:33:56] There's too, too many. Everybody has just been amazing. And [00:34:00] I think to plug Cardozo. That's one thing that I do love about Cardozo is that,  this isn't a competitive environment at all. Like people just want to see each other win at the end  of the day And that's it. The amount of love, especially that comes from the Black community at Cardozo the minority community at Cardozo.

[00:34:17] Like we all just want to see each other when we, you know, there's never like a cutthroat environment that you hear about at some law schools. And that is, I think that. To go back to your earlier question of, why I chose Cardozo. I [00:34:30] feel like maybe I just got that vibe and I just knew, this is going to be a place where people aren't so terrible to each other.

[00:34:36]Cause law school sucks already, so it's good to meet people who don't make it more sucky.

[00:34:41] Charity: [00:34:41] Yeah that's a very good point. And we could probably talk about that even more, but I just wanna thank you for joining me and I really appreciate you sharing your story. is there any way that people can connect with you or...

[00:34:56] Grayson: [00:34:56] Definitely. Do people share their Instagrams on here? Yeah If 

[00:34:59] Charity: [00:34:59] if you [00:35:00] feel comfortable sharing.

[00:35:01] Grayson: [00:35:01] Yeah, people can follow me at @goodvibesgray. So it's at G O O D vibes V I B E S, G R A Y you could give my email too, if you want to, like in the description. Okay, perfect.yeah  that's pretty much the best ways to get in contact 

[00:35:19] Charity: [00:35:19] Awesome. Thank you so much, Grayson!

[00:35:22] Grayson: [00:35:22] Of course. Thank you.

[00:35:23]Charity: [00:35:23]   Thank you for listening to the part two episode and thank you to Grayson for [00:35:30] sharing her candid insights about law school.   You can find more information about Grayson and how to contact her in the description below. I look forward to seeing you all on January 29th for our next Until then peace!