I choose to fight, every day, for the accused, oppressed, and despised – those who cannot fight for themselves. I do this because I have felt powerless, I have needed help, and I have depended on others who stood for me in my life.
I grew up in the 1980s and 90s. I occupied all of my time reading every comic book I could find, watching superhero shows and movies, and playing videogames until bedtime. I found comfort in the heroes from my comic books and games who fought the powerful forces who terrified everyone else and fought for the people who couldn’t fight back themselves. Those childhood heros taught me to empathize with the underdog, fostered my compassion for those who found the least understanding among everyone else, and instilled a distrust of the powerful, who so often bully and take advantage of everyone else.
As I got older and began to follow the news, it was clear that what I saw as a child wouldn’t change – stories about the most powerful (the Government and large companies) abusing and taking advantage of people were commonplace. Except, the heroes fighting against that abuse were lawyers – fighting to protect civil liberties the Government refused to respect and to hold companies accountable for the harm they had caused to consumers. I knew at that point in my life that I wanted to be a lawyer. Not to get rich, become famous, or have a prestigious career, but to fight. To fight for the oppressed, to protect the accused, hold the powerful accountable, and be a voice for those who felt they couldn’t be heard.
After law school I decided to build a practice in my hometown. I rejected the notion of working for a large corporate firm in Atlanta. I wanted to join the fight for the outsiders and underdogs in my own community – to be a voice for compassion and mercy as well as justice for those that had all too often been ignored or overlooked.
I fight for my Clients with everything I know. I work their cases with empathy and passion. I feel their anxiety and pain. I do these things because I want to make a difference, not because I want to make money. I want my life to be of service to those who feel hopeless. This is why I continue in this fight day after day. I want to fight for the oppressed, the accused, the despised, the injured, to hold the powerful to account – every day for the rest of my life.
How can we fight for you?