(¼) “Eduardo was so nervous when he came into our office. He barely spoke English, so he told his story through an interpreter. He explained that his hometown in Colombia had been taken over by guerillas. He’d been beaten. His family was threatened. And he escaped to America to apply for asylum. He kept thanking us over and over for taking his case. I was grateful to him as well. He was the first actual person I’d ever represented. I was fresh out of law school. I was working at a major law firm, and already I was feeling disconnected. Our clients were abstractions: corporations and countries. In school I’d dreamed about helping people, but my job mostly involved doing research. Eduardo was the first ‘pro bono’ case I’d ever done. I wasn’t getting paid, but it felt meaningful. And it was a lot of pressure. Because I knew that if we failed, Eduardo would be deported, and he could be killed. My partner and I did a series of all-nighters to prepare. So much of the law is in the details: getting documents in order, meeting deadlines. But it can seem impossible unless you know what you’re doing. On the day of his court appearance Eduardo was a nervous wreck. The court building itself can seem like a terrifying, hostile place. You have to go through security. Everything is made of marble. The judge is dressed in robes, and positioned higher than everyone else. Eduardo stuttered through his entire testimony. He misspoke a couple times, and the judge snapped at him. But we were by his side the whole time, stating the evidence, arguing on his behalf. When we were finished the judge took a long pause. She said: ‘It’s really close,’ and all of us held our breath. Then she said: ‘Asylum granted.’ We shuffled out of the courtroom as quickly as possible. Eduardo’s family was waiting in the next room. There were hugs, and tears, and disbelief. He wanted to thank us somehow, so he took us to the McDonalds across the street. I’m a vegetarian. So normally that would be my worst nightmare, but I ordered some French fries. And those were the best French fries I’ve ever had in my life. This was the feeling I’d been imagining in law school. I felt like I’d unlocked a superpower.”
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
germansingergirl
titsay
discoholicmusic
