Academic and Professional Journey: From TCNJ to Public Defense

Academic Foundations and Career Path at TCNJ The speaker began their higher education journey at TCNJ, pursuing a major in psychology. This choice was driven by a desire for career flexibility, as the speaker was "law curious" but also wanted options beyond teaching or legal practice. While a history major seemed limited to teaching or law, psychology offered paths into psychological research, social science research, or clinical practice. During their time at TCNJ, the speaker was a fixture in the Social Science Building, often located between that building and the library. The speaker eventually graduated from TCNJ in May $2009$. # Transitioning to Rutgers Law School While the speaker considered law school, the LSAT proved to be a hurdle due to its "logic games," which the speaker found unpleasant and difficult. Standardized testing was not a historical strong suit for the speaker. However, a unique opportunity arose during the summer following graduation while the speaker was working a web design job creating a website for a bar. Rutgers Law contacted the speaker via email regarding a pilot program where an $80^{\text{th}}$ percentile score on the GRE was sufficient for admission without an LSAT score. This occurred during the aftermath of the $2008$ financial crisis, a time when many individuals were entering law school due to a difficult job market. After consulting with an uncle who was a successful prosecutor and felt fulfilled by his career, the speaker decided to enroll at Rutgers Law. # Law School Academics and Strategic Adaptation The speaker's first experience in law school was a Contracts class. A specific hypothetical involving a dispute between apple sellers—where a buyer expected red apples but received green ones—ignited the speaker's passion for legal argumentation. Despite this initial enthusiasm, the first semester was academically jarring. Having been on the Dean's List at TCNJ, the speaker was shocked to receive only grades of D in their first semester of law school. Law school presented a unique challenge: there was typically only one exam per course with no midterms or quizzes to gauge a professor's expectations. The speaker learned that the formatting and manner in which an argument is presented can be as important as the substance of the argument itself. To improve, the speaker sought a mentor and began studying "exemplars" of previous high-scoring exams to learn the specific styles and answers preferred by various professors. This strategy was successful, leading to several grades of A in the spring semester. # Criminal Law and the Sailor Boy Case During the spring of the first year ($1L$), the speaker took Criminal Law at $8:30\,AM$. The course was taught by Professor Clark, an animated instructor from New Zealand who would frequently yell "state technician!" to keep the class awake. A memorable case from this period was the "Sailor Boy" case from English maritime law, which involved three individuals on a lifeboat after a shipwreck. Facing starvation, two of the men killed and ate the third, leading to a complex legal and ethical analysis that deeply engaged the speaker. While the speaker was also introduced to Torts—derived from the French word for "wrong"—this area of civil law focused primarily on financial compensation and money. The speaker found criminal law more compelling because it centered on justice and moral significance rather than just fiscal outcomes. # Distinctions Between Civil and Criminal Law The speaker notes two primary systems of law: civil and criminal. This distinction is often illustrated by the OJ Simpson trial, where Simpson was acquitted in criminal court but found liable in civil court. In criminal law, the burden of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt," whereas in civil law, the burden is the lower standard of "preponderance of the evidence." Within civil law, the speaker studied various "causes of action," such as battery and assault. In a civil context, assault is defined as creating the fear of being hit (a "puffing"), while battery is an unwanted touching that is reckless or causes physical discomfort. The speaker found the factual analysis of these elements, such as whether blowing in someone's face constitutes a legal infraction, to be fascinating. # Criminal Procedure and Internship Experiences During the second year ($2L$) of law school, the speaker focused on criminal-geared classes, including Criminal Procedure Investigations in the fall and Criminal Procedure Adjudications in the spring. Investigations dealt with police standards and the legal requirements for searches, such as the conditions under which authorities can enter a dormitory room or search a refrigerator for contraband. The speaker also interned at the Gloucester County prosecutor's office. In the summer between their $1L$ and $2L$ years, the speaker worked on a notable case from $2010$ involving a music teacher at Nicholasborough High School. The teacher had entered into a relationship with a $17$-year-old student. Although the age of consent was $16$, making a statutory rape charge difficult, the teacher was charged with official misconduct. The speaker was tasked with conducting legal research and writing the response brief to a motion to dismiss filed by the teacher's defense. The speaker successfully argued that the teacher's position in a public school met the elements of official misconduct. # Professional Maturity and Public Defense Although the speaker entered a post-graduation clerkship with the intention of becoming a prosecutor, their perspective shifted over that year. The speaker served as a clerk—essentially a "Robin to the Batman" assistant—for a judge who would later become a close personal friend and officiant for the speaker's upcoming wedding. During this time, the speaker observed that justice was often served when public defenders convinced prosecutors to use their discretion and show mercy. An example cited was a defendant with cancer and a severe skin condition who faced $3$ years in prison for crack cocaine possession; the public defender argued that the man would die in prison. Witnessing the "good" done by public defenders led the speaker to join the public defender's office after passing the bar exam on their first attempt. The speaker remained in this role for $11$ years. # Philosophy of Islam and Personal Lessons Reflecting on their time at TCNJ, the speaker recalled an elective course in the Philosophy of Islam. Coming from a Catholic school background where other religions were often taught through a lens of why they were "wrong," the speaker appreciated learning from a Muslim professor who offered deep philosophical insights. The class was often held outdoors in a circle under a large tree near the campus pond. Beyond the academic content, the professor provided a piece of practical life advice: keeping a spare car key in one's wallet. This suggestion saved the speaker from being locked out of their vehicle on numerous occasions throughout their career.