As someone who has always been interested in politics, especially those affecting our individual rights, I knew going into law school that Constitutional Law would be perfect for me. Growing up, my father and I were always talking about politics. For Christmas and birthday gifts, we would always give each other books written by some of our favorite politicians. One book that stood out was by Ted Cruz called One Vote Away, which outlines how some of the most critical cases in the Supreme Court’s history came down to narrow 5-4 votes. Some decisions—and thus the arc of our constitutional rights—could have been very different by just one justice’s vote. I never realized how close we get to losing our liberties, and it shocked me that such a possibility exists. In law school, I dedicated myself to preserving our freedoms, and Mountain States provided a way for me to do that.
Fight for Equality
On my first day, I quickly got to work after learning about University of California, Berkeley’s (Berkeley) Black Graduation, which only invited students who affiliate with the African-American community, I instantly knew this was a chance to protect students from discrimination. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 restricts all federally funded institutions from discriminating against faculty and students based on race, national origin, and color. Berkeley clearly violated Title VI by hosting an event that only celebrates one race of students. Working with the Foundation’s general counsel, Will Trachman, we compiled evidence proving discrimination and filed an administrative complaint to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As of a week ago, we officially heard from OCR that they are launching an investigation.
Although this is a smaller victory in a longer battle, I am proud of my work in protecting students. As a current law student, I cannot imagine completing years of hard work to receive a diploma and, in time of celebration, being excluded from an event because of my race. School is challenging enough, and students do not need additional stress with situations like this. Upholding Title VI and the general principle of equality under the law has become especially important to me.
Protecting Free Speech
My summer fellowship was unique compared to a typical law student’s experience. Not only was I able to help file an administrative complaint against Berkeley, but I also had the opportunity to assist in writing an amicus brief to the Colorado Supreme Court in a case called People v. Clark. The outcome of Clark was nothing out of the ordinary at the trial court, but after the decision was appealed, the higher appellate court addressed some unusual concerns. The appellate court assumed that a mistake was made by the trial judge when he did not dismiss a potential juror who stated that he opposed diversity. However, it is inappropriate to remove a juror unless they have demonstrated an extreme bias for or against the defendant. So, the trial judge got it right by not dismissing the juror since it was unclear what he meant by his statement. The appellate court, however, confusingly concluded that the juror showed an extreme racial bias against the defendant and, therefore, the potential juror should have been dismissed. Our amicus focused on the concern of the Colorado Supreme Court’s automatic acceptance of the appellate court’s decision.
As a future attorney, I understand the importance of respecting the judicial system and the judges behind the bench. The judiciary is the backbone of our country, in the sense that if any harm is done to a citizen, they have the right to justice through this branch. Justice allows citizens to have protection against those who have harmed them and to achieve fairness. If people begin losing trust in the judicial system, they will also begin to lose hope that order will be maintained in our country. We understand this risk at Mountain States, and I was lucky to be part of the process to protect potential jurors’ freedom of speech rights and the Sixth Amendment’s promise to a fair and impartial trial.
Grateful for Mountain States
Though most of my time at Mountain States was focused on Civil Rights—the area I am most interested in—I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work on property and SecondAmendment issues as well. Working on several smaller research projects in natural resources, introduced me to another area of Constitutional Law I never thought I would encounter. Through my natural resource projects, I quickly realized that Mountain States is protecting individuals’ rights to property while being the better stewards of our beautiful lands. In a world dominated by those who would use the levers of government authority to impose “solutions,” we are working to stand up for those who have liberty-based ideas about energy and the environment.
I am sad to leave Mountain States but thankful for the learning experience and the wonderful community my time as a fellow provided. Not only is everyone at Mountain States extremely helpful, but also so caring and kind. I cannot think of a better way to spend my summer, and I am thankful I had the opportunity to be a part of this team to protect Americans and our freedoms.