Milo Beitman
Milo Beitman’s passion for helping others led to her decision to go to law school. In particular, she wanted to help people navigate the excessively bureaucratic and complex legal system.Her interest in landlord-tenant law stemmed from an electrical fire that destroyed her house. There were several housing code violations constituting a breach of the warranty of habitability; the electrical outlets and the fire alarms were not functional and did not go off. This experience prompted Milo to volunteer with the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and assist people who were in similar situations.
Further, her internship with The Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) showed her how poorly California prisons treat transgender people. Consequently, her desire to be part of the necessary systematic changes to policy and legislation pertaining to the treatment of prisoners motivated her to seek a legal education.
While in law school, Milo served as co-president of The Queer Law Student Association (QLSA), enabling her to find and build a community of wonderful students and host events addressing queer issues through a social justice lens. She also worked at the California Appellate Project, where she helped a client on Death Row at San Quentin obtain legal recognition as a member of a Native American Tribe and permission to practice his religion at the prison. She found it very rewarding to help her client get through the day-to-day realities of prison life where rights are so few.
As she works towards a career in public interest, she looks forward to using her legal expertise to continue to help underserved and marginalized communities who do not generally have access to the law.
Milo’s advice for fellow law students is to find balance, to put yourself and your passions out there and be open to the opportunities that come to you. Also, she recommends to find what rejuvenates you and do it, whether it is yoga, dance or something else. Moreover, Milo suggests sharing your story with other people, since sharing our stories brings people together and breaks down the feeling of isolation that can exist in law school.
Interviewer: Kelly Densmore is a 1L student. She is interested in Public Interest and Civil Rights Law. When she is not being a law student, Kelly likes to garden in her backyard in Oakland, ride her bike and spend time with her family and friends. Kelly is very proud to have been born and raised in the Bay Area.
