Lindsay Frank
Tell me something special or interesting about your background before you went to law school?
I actually worked as an elder caregiver for a little while before coming to law school. Working as an in-home presented challenges and learning opportunities that I never expected, but I really value. I realized that my clients really depended on me to get through their day and that realization was both daunting and really wonderful. I liked being an elder companion and aide and I got to really know my clients and their histories. I loved hearing stories about their lives and their families.
Why did you decide to go to law school?
I started considering law school while I was earning my Community Studies degree from UC Santa Cruz. I has the opportunity to get involved with some student activism regarding University of California budget cuts and the dismantling of the Community Studies department. The meetings centered around organizing strategies and approaches really sparked my interest in finding legal solutions to what seemed to be injustices to the students.
I also took many classes that critically analyzed various facets of society, heavily focusing on the health care system and feminism from a global perspective. I came to realize that I wanted to pursue a career where I could dedicate myself to the pursuit of social justice and I was drawn to law school so that I could be a legal advocate for those that struggle to access the legal justice system, but need that access the most.
Tell me something special or interesting about your law school experience.
I am currently working with the GGU Women’s Employment Rights Clinic to advocate for domestic caregivers who are working to recover wages that they earned and are entitled to, but were never paid. It’s particularly interesting because as I previously mentioned, I worked as caregiver before coming to law school. I was fortunate enough to be adequately compensated for my work as a caregiver, but I have some idea of how difficult and exhausting this work is, which is why I am so passionate about pursuing justice for these workers.
What is your greatest source of motivation/support as you work towards a career in the public interest?
I have found the most motivation in both clients that I have had the chance to advocate for in clinical settings and other public interest attorneys who love what they do. I attended a OneJustice bus trip clinic last fall, then I had the opportunity to defend a client against eviction while working with Homeless Advocacy Project through the GGU Honors Lawyering Program, and now I’m doing advocacy work for caregivers with WERC. Getting to know real clients and knowing that I have been able to assist them in any way, even if it is just listening to their story and assessing whether or not he or she might have claim, makes all the hard work worth while.
I also have found great motivation and support from other attorneys in the field that I have met at panels, various public interest events in the area, and through volunteer, intern and clinical experiences.
What message/advice do you have for your fellow law students?
I encourage my fellow law students to seek out opportunities to volunteer and do pro bono work because you can get your feet wet doing real-life advocacy work and these experiences give you the opportunity to work alongside some really amazing and inspiring practicing attorneys.
If not in law school right now, what would you be doing?
That’s a tough question. I might still be an elder caregiver or maybe I would have sought a job as a paralegal or an assistant in a law office to get some experience in the field before actually coming to law school.
Interviewer: Steven Sabel is a first-year law student at GGU. An east coast transplant from NY, he spent the last four years working as a firefighter. He decided to change things up a bit and wanted to pursue a career in law. Alhough always changing, his current interest is in litigation and securities.
