Sankofa: Giving Back the Knowledge You Have Gained

As young professionals in the oversaturated legal profession, we often must choose between the things we desire and the things we require. The pressure of paying down six-figure loan debt or saving for that first home may take priority over attending a career fair at a local elementary school or filing a pro-bono expungement on behalf of a young man who lacks the knowledge or confidence to do so. How do we balance our desire to give back to the community with our immediate job obligations? How do we make sure that the internal pressure of proving ourselves in this high-paced and adversarial career path does not distract us from our commitment to public service? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but after struggling silently during my first two years of practice, public service saved me.