Blog #4 - What has been surprising to me so far?

 One of the most surprising things I have learned so far during my Hawken Project is how many current attorneys, magistrates, judges, and other legal professionals did not originally study law-related subjects in college or attend law school immediately after graduating. Through interviews and observations, I have discovered that there are many different pathways into a legal career beyond what is often considered the “traditional” route.

The traditional route, as described by several of the professionals I interviewed, typically involves majoring in Criminal Justice, Political Science, or a similar field during undergraduate studies and then proceeding directly to law school. These majors are often presented as the most obvious or recommended paths into the legal profession. However, I have learned that they are by no means required, and that many successful legal professionals come from very different academic and professional backgrounds.

Before beginning my project, I assumed that most people practicing law had always known they wanted to attend law school and had carefully planned their undergraduate education around that goal. I believed that nearly everyone in the legal field followed a straight and predictable path. It turns out that this assumption was completely wrong.

I was first introduced to this idea when I interviewed my mentor’s co-magistrate at the Lake County Probate Court. She explained that she did not begin law school until she was 30 years old, after working in human resources management at a manufacturing company following college. As an undergraduate, she studied industrial psychology—something I found surprising given her current role as a magistrate. When I asked why she did not attend law school immediately after college, she explained that she felt it was important to gain real-world work experience before returning to school. This theme has appeared frequently in the stories I have heard. Some individuals choose to work for several years before committing to another four years of education, while others decide to continue directly through eight straight years of schooling.

I had a similar experience when I interviewed a judge from the Lake County Court of Common Pleas. He told me that he originally planned to become a high school teacher and sports coach before eventually deciding to pursue law school. This surprised me, as coaching and practicing law seem like very different careers. I was also struck by the variety in his legal career after graduating from law school. He began in the public defender’s office, then moved to the prosecutor’s office, later entered private practice as a partner, and eventually became both a city councilman and a part-time law director. This range of roles challenged my earlier belief that most attorneys remain in the same office—or even on the same “side” of the law—throughout their careers.

Beyond my formal interviews, I also overheard a defense attorney during a bench trial mention that she had previously worked as an EMT before attending law school. This dramatic career shift has intrigued me the most during my project. Learning about these nontraditional paths has made me increasingly curious about the influences, experiences, and motivations that lead people to make such significant changes in their career trajectories.