Why I Went to Law School

Don't worry, this will not read like an admissions letter. I was just trying to remind myself this afternoon what inspired me to take out a billion dollars in student loans and put myself through three years of hell. And tonight as I again cannot sleep, I remembered. (Now I want you to know that I have taken a Benadryl and an Ambien with no effect, so I am not promising stellar writing.)

Anyway, the reason I went to get a law degree is because of my kids. Are you asking, "Jenny, when in the world did you have kids?" I am talking about the foster kids that I worked with during my first job out of college. Things were so much easier then. I was a lot more confident when I went into interviews then because I was too naive to realize how competitive the market is/was. I actually asked my potential boss what DHR stood for (that is a staple in the social work world.) Regardless, after ensuring that I had "sowed my wild oats" (he really did ask me that) I was hired.

I was given a case load of 8 kids that ranged in ages from 4 to 17. Each of these kids were living with foster care families and had been diagnosed with some sort of DMV-IV criteria. (That is, they are considered to be suffering from a severe psychological condition. All my kids had issues, took medicine and really just needed to be loved.

One of my favorite stories that I remember is from the first time that I was on call. Yes, you read correctly, I was on call, with a beeper, and I do not have an MD. Most of the time, the calls were from parents who were just annoyed, but on my first weekend with the pager I got the mother of calls. I was told by the foster parents that they wanted to drop the kid off and were no longer willing to take him into their home. Now, when you are on call, you are responsible for every one's kids. This child was not mine, and I had no type of relationship with him. I asked to speak to him on the phone and asked him what was going on. Keep in mind this child is 8.

Child: "You're white, aren't you?"

Me: "Well, I don't think that is really the issue. Can you tell me why you are so angry?"

Child: "No you stupid cracker."

Me: "Ok, I think it is important that we try to resolve this situation because your foster parents are not happy and are thinking about taking you to the hospital."

Child: "Shut up you fat cow." Click. Phone call is over.

After speaking with my supervisor (who probably thought this was hilarious) I called the foster parents back and told them I would meet them at Children's Hospital. They did not want him riding with me because they were afraid the child would reach across the back of the seat and strangle me. Super.

When I walked into the emergency room, this child saw me and streaked across the waiting area to lock himself in the bathroom. Luckily for us, Children's Hospital must have come across this same type of behavior before, and does not allow the doors to lock from the inside. I walked into the bathroom and tried to talk with him. I still am not sure what set him off that day, but he had major issues that could be resolved with a lot of therapy for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, I don't think that is going to the path for him.

The nurse showed us the child's room for the moment and somehow it was determined that it was safe for me to be in there with him alone. I stopped him as he attempted to shove cotton balls down his throat, throw wooden tongue depressors around the room and then tell me that he was going to strangle himself with his sheet. At that point I called for the dr. to give him some sort of tranquilizer. As the child calmed down, but before he went to sleep, he told me thank you and I love you. I started crying because I was so overwhelmed with the situation, and of course the hospital social worker walked in right at that time. It was a little embarrassing.

That child is one of many that sealed my deal with law school. He was sent away to a residential facility and I have no idea where he has gone from there. Actually he may be almost 18 and will age of the system very soon. There are attorneys that represent these children, as well as their families. Albeit they are not well paid well, I feel that this is the most rewarding way that I will be able to use my degree. I have been searching for social work jobs and am hoping that something in that field will come my way.