Trevor Ray Slone currently attends Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Liberty University, with a B.S. in Religion. Trevor then earned a Master’s degree from Temple Baptist Seminary in Bible and Theology, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He also has a diploma in Electrical Technology and a diploma in Personal Training.
His ultimate goal is “to do what I can to change America's mental health care law for the better!” After law school graduation in 2016, Trevor plans to pursue an M.S. and a doctorate in Bioethics, with a concentration in health care law and policy, and then get an LLM in health care law.
As a person with bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the son of a mother with post-traumatic stress disorder and multiple personality disorder, Trevor is well aware of the barriers that currently exist for people with mental health issues. He has witnessed the lack of community supports for people with mental health conditions, resulting in unemployment and “much lower standards of living and a much lower level of life enjoyment.”
What is an average day for Trevor? He wakes up around 1 am, and drives an hour to school. He studies from around 3 am until classes start around 9 am, and then drives home and is in bed by 5:30 or 6:30 pm. Trevor credits law school with his ability “to accept other people for who they are and realize that not everyone agrees with your own position, or has to for that matter.” He recognizes that this is a valuable skill for all lawyers.
To accommodate his ADHD, the law school granted Trevor’s request for a quiet location to take his exams. Trevor advises law students with disabilities to “be forthright with your school and your fellow students and teachers regarding your disabilities. Be bold in asking for necessary and beneficial accommodations, but do not ever use such accommodations as an excuse to slack off or ‘take it easy.’”
When not in school, Trevor sits on the board of a consumer run organization called Morning Star, Inc., which operates a community center where people with mental health conditions can hang out, play games, and give and receive peer support. “It is a great organization that helps many in our community, and it is funded primarily by a grant through the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services.”
As to his future career plans, Trevor recognizes that law firms in his town of Manhattan, Kansas are reluctant to hire people with mental health conditions due to the associated stereotypes, prejudices and bias. “I believe that all of us can be beneficial and contributing members of society, and that is what I aim to help accomplish and show the rest of the world through my career in law.” His advice to legal recruiters: “Embrace the diverse perspectives and talents of lawyers with mental disabilities.”