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Joining Teach For America will make your law career more meaningful and focused. By committing two years to teach in an urban or rural low-income community, you will have a significant impact on the lives of children facing the challenges of poverty. At the same time, you will gain real-world insight into many of the social issues that our country’s laws and public policies must address. Teach For America alumni recognize the value of knowing firsthand how abstract legal concepts and policies impact children and families in low-income communities. Additionally, the rigor of the corps experience inspires deep personal strength that fuels their drive for excellence in their legal careers. Finally, alumni say that managing a classroom of students and leading them toward ambitious goals provided them with confidence and a level of credibility that enabled them to make a huge impact in their legal career.
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Graduate school partnerships |
Alumni profile: Araceli Martínez-Olguín
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The high school I attended had a 50 percent graduation rate, so
I understood the achievement gap before I heard of Teach For
America. As a college senior, I was considering law school or a
state government fellowship, but after four years in a sheltered
academic environment, I wanted a hands-on job where I could
make a very direct contribution. Becoming a corps member was a
chance to have an impact at schools similar to the public schools I
had attended and to contribute to a community like mine. In a way,
I was teaching 20 younger versions of myself, and our similarities
helped me, my students, and their families connect.
I really appreciate Teach For America’s core belief
that every student has the ability to achieve, and I saw
this confirmed in my classroom. I knew that I had to work
exceptionally hard to prepare myself to teach. After immersing
myself in the summer training institute, I took advantage of
every professional development opportunity. At our monthly
corps member meetings, we had sessions to share strategies
and lesson plans with those teaching the same grade level. I
adopted my classroom management system from a Teach For
America alumna who was teaching in my school. I emulated
other teachers and I saw my students gain skills and meet or
exceed the state standards.
My corps experience drove home how early the achievement
gap starts. The educated, professional couple who were my
landlords at the time had a 3-year-old daughter who could
count, recognize colors, and sing the alphabet. On my first day of
school, almost none of my kindergarten students could recognize
any letters or shapes. By the end of the year, almost all of them
knew the names of the letters and the sounds they make and
were starting to write full words.
I joined Teach For America knowing that good teachers
make a meaningful difference, and I still feel that way, but my
corps experience reinforced my understanding of the larger
structural forces that
have to change so that
we can end educational
inequity for good. Seeing
what my students were
capable of when given the
opportunity motivated
me to pursue a career
in civil rights law. At the
ACLU, my work focuses
on the rights of low-wage immigrant women workers, affirmative
action, and sex-segregated education. My legal career is about
shaping what my students experience outside of the classroom,
so they can succeed inside the classroom.
Alumni profile: Maureen Milligan
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My father is an attorney, but before he went to law school, he was a public school teacher. I was always fascinated by his stories about being a prosecutor, and I knew that I would go to law school. But I also knew that I wanted to get some real-world experience. I thought of teaching because of what my dad had done.
Honestly, before I joined Teach For America, I didn’t realize to what extent the education system was in need of change. But after I’d been teaching for a bit, I realized there were structural and systemic issues in public education that had to be addressed, aside from what I was doing in the classroom. When I went for my master’s in education, I focused on policy so that I could look at the bigger, overlying questions that were affecting our kids.
In law school, I definitely drew on the practical skills I gained from teaching: organization, how to hold people’s attention, and how to explain a complicated topic and make it seem simple. And the amount of responsibility I had as a first-year teacher I wouldn’t have gotten until my fifth or sixth year working at a large law firm. Most importantly, my teaching experience gave me perspective and maturity. I knew there were bigger things in life than whether I got an A or a B on my Constitutional Law final.
My experience in the corps also helped prepare me professionally. During law school, I got a very competitive internship in the civil rights division of the Department of Justice. They had hired another Teach For America alumna a couple of years before who really impressed them, so that was the first thing they asked me about in the interview.
My ultimate goal is to work at a legal defense fund for an organization like the NAACP, or possibly for a government organization involved in education. There’s a lot of pressure in law school to find the highest-paying job without considering the requirements and what the job will allow you to accomplish. Teach For America gave me the ability to step back and think about what I really wanted to do with my law degree, instead of just being funneled into the highest-paying job. My corps experience honed my interest in law and public service and helped me realize I want to have a career where I can make a difference in the lives of children today.
Alumni profile: Taggart Hansen
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I knew before going to college that I wanted to attend law school. I felt that I had worked very hard in college to achieve success, but I was not prepared to go straight to law school or to take the LSATs. Teach For America was the only program I applied to as a college senior. Once accepted, I realized that by becoming a teacher I now had the unique opportunity to be a role model for students of all different backgrounds, particularly those from disadvantaged communities. Moreover, I truly believe that my Teach For America experience was instrumental in my being accepted at top law schools—schools I may not have gotten into had I applied during my undergraduate years.
Alumni profile: Craig Lee
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Before committing to Teach for America, I had concerns about whether teaching would sidetrack me from becoming a lawyer. I now realize the experience shaped my future as an attorney.
The challenges of law school seemed like nothing compared to the challenges of being responsible for the education of 20 students. Moreover, the skills I developed in the classroom are equally applicable in the courtroom. As a teacher, I learned to be a quick thinker, adapt to any situation, and break down complex issues into bite-size chunks—all necessary skills for a litigator. The program enjoys a strong reputation, and potential employers viewed my years teaching as a worthwhile and unique experience. Without a doubt, joining Teach for America was the best thing I did to prepare me for my legal career.
Alumni profile: Avi Cover
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The main impact Teach For America had on me was to solidify my plans to do public service. It really confirmed my interest in working in the field on a practical level rather than on a more abstract level. For me, that meant going to law school and applying that education to help make our society better. I honestly believe that, for me, going straight to law school from college would have been a mistake. I needed to learn more about the world, and about myself. Teach For America gave me that opportunity and helped me gain a deeper understanding of a host of issues-not just education but economic inequity, housing inequity, and familial issues. Working with people and seeing how laws and policies affect them every day gives you incomparable insight that will make your law school and professional experience that much more worthwhile.
Learn more about alumni effecting fundamental change
Alumni videos
Click here to hear from alumni in law about how Teach For America has impacted their decisions and perspectives.
Graduate school partnerships
At Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, we know that
Teach For America corps members and alumni have
already met Teach For America’s rigorous standards, proved themselves in a challenging environment, and have the work ethic, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit we value. 
- Monica R. Brenner
Manager of Legal Recruitment, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Many law schools, including the country’s top 10 law schools, partner with Teach For America to offer special benefits for corps members and alumni, including two-year deferrals, application fee waivers, and scholarships. These graduate schools seek out our alumni, recognizing that they have gone through a highly selective program and have engaged in a challenging professional experience.
Click here to browse our complete database of graduate school partnerships.
