My Law School Journey

Speaker: Michael Kusi.

Purpose: Toastmasters International.

Title: My Law School Journey.

Date: 10/11/22.

Welcome! It is an honor to see my fellow Toastmasters and to greet you.

I am going to talk about my law school journey. Ralph Waldo Emerson said There is no better way to exercise the imagination than the study of law. There is also another quote that says Everyone wants to say that they hate lawyers, but every parent wants their child to grow up to become a lawyer. I ?had grown up on Law and Order SVU, and I was fascinated not only by the police but by the actors who portrayed the lawyers on the show. They seemed so professional and so polished and I wanted to be in a career that did the same thing. ?

To achieve that purpose, I tried out for Mock Trial, which is the trial competition team of law school. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it. The hardest thing in the world is having to face a cross-examination by someone who knows their stuff and can really pin you down. I knew that I would need more knowledge and a skillset to go on in the legal profession and get my goals.

So I also took Trial Techniques in law school. It was my favorite course in law school. I was able to win both of my mock bench trials and my jury trial, and doing Trial Techniques gave me the confidence to move forward. It was the most fun that I had in law school.

Finally, I also took Appellate Advocacy in law school and tried out for their Moot Court team. People don’t realize this but much of the law is done at the appellate level, above trial court. It was very different from trial because it’s a lot more formal and the judges ask you questions which you answer on behalf of your client. Even though I did not make it I feel like these experiences have made me more well-rounded.?