Michigan Law students (l-r) Brad Gonzalez, Noah Rotroff, Jennifer Jiwon Kim, Raisa Faatimah, and Isabel Bysiewicz shared stories of their personal and professional journeys and a storytelling event.
By Amy Spooner
Michigan Law
The sixth-annual storytelling event “The Valiant” recently showcased members of Michigan Law’s public interest community. In the style of the nationally recognized live-storytelling on the Moth platform, “The Valiant” gave five students who are just weeks away from graduation the chance to speak about elements of their personal and professional journeys under the theme “resistance.”
“A lot of people in 1L year are told they’re here to learn to think like a lawyer. You write a memo, and you’re told at the beginning to take out the emotion, and take out the messy details, and be clean and concise and direct; it’s black or white, right or wrong, and there’s no gray. In reality, we all know there is a lot of gray. And that’s what we’re here to talk about tonight: the contradictions, the gray that we all live in and that exists in all human stories,” said Emily Bretz, ’11, Michigan Law’s public interest director, in her welcoming remarks.
Debra Chopp, associate dean for experiential education and a clinical professor of law, served as emcee for the event.
“As lawyers, one of our most important responsibilities is to tell the stories of our clients with fidelity to the facts in a way that makes them feel comfortable, in a way that makes them trust us, and in a way that’s persuasive to whoever is listening to the stories,” she said.
—————
Raisa Faatimah shared how a lunch talk at the Law School about gender apartheid against women in Afghanistan — on a day when she was attending a divorce hearing to end her arranged marriage — gave her perspective and a sense of identity.
“I suddenly remembered…I was a Muslim woman, the child of immigrants, sitting in one of the top universities in the country. And I had so many options that these women didn’t. But I was not so dissimilar from the women in Afghanistan. …And maybe if my life had been just a little more different, I might have been in a similar position. …I realized what a privilege I had to make mistakes, to learn from them, and have the legal right to walk away from them and build a better future for myself. …Every one of us will be vulnerable at some point, sometimes through conditions not of our own doings, sometimes through the decisions we’ve made on our own. But when we start to believe that we and others are immune to vulnerability, we start to ignore the ways that people are exploitable because of it. That afternoon reminded me exactly why law exists. As lawyers, we spend so much time studying rules and doctrine. But at its core, the legal profession is something so much simpler. It’s about making sure that people in vulnerable positions still have the ability to assert their dignity, their autonomy, and reclaim their futures.”
Faatimah plans to pursue a PhD related to history, law, and international development.
—————
Brad Gonzalez talked about how he grew up idolizing his older brother, George—and how his world was tilted when George was incarcerated while Gonzalez was in middle school. In law school, Gonzalez found his calling helping other kids, especially through the Law School’s Student Rights Project (SRP), a pro bono program that provides representation and support for students facing suspension and expulsion hearings.
“SRP is special to me because I get to work with students who are struggling…[like] Rob…who was 17 years old, a senior in high school. On the first day of school, he got into a fight. …Rob reminded me of my brother in a way that I can’t explain. He was a loud mouth; he was so cool. And he still is. I went to Rob’s hearing, and I made the arguments that we make every time: This is a kid in a single parent household; he was dealing with disabilities that were undiagnosed and untreated; and, frankly, an expulsion would only hurt the student. At Rob’s hearing, I realized that I was making the exact arguments that someone should have made for my older brother. I felt like I had changed someone’s life because I stood up in front of the school board, I told them the details that were getting this kid in this situation, and ultimately, Rob returned to school the very next day. He was a reminder to me why I came to law school: to support those who are in need.”
Gonzalez will join Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit after graduation.
—————
Noah Rotroff traced his journey from “tech bro” to JD “clowndidate.” As his political views shifted, Rotroff became morally opposed to his work in AI and left the industry. Hoping to make a difference through volunteering, he leaned on his Cirque du Soleil background and participated in several international humanitarian clowning trips. However, a moment in an Ecuadorian hospital pushed him to reckon with white saviorism and reflect on why he continues to quite literally dress like a clown every day.
“[We] were going into a sensitive place like a hospital with absolutely no training, complete strangers, thinking that we could just go in and cause chaos. That left a little bit of a stain. …But at the same time, I knew that clowning was the only thing that got me to the point where I could recognize that it was a problem. Because clowning is not only a method for me to spread joy and kindness, it is also a commitment to skepticism. …[W]hen I do the things that I do and look the way that I do, it’s an intrusive communication to everyone that is a rejection of the ideals that society upholds—[ideals] that continue to perpetuate the inequality and injustice in our system. Because the ideas of success and wealth and power and respect and formality, they all serve the same purpose. So every day I have to wake up, and I have to choose to be this person. I have to choose to reject all of those ideas because it would be easier to just fit in.”
Rotroff will join Northern Nevada Legal Aid after graduation.
—————
Jennifer Jiwon Kim reflected on her experiences protesting the first Trump administration as an immigrant and noncitizen. Today, in light of the second administration’s heightened attack on immigrants and the detention of student protestors supporting Palestine, she reconsiders her parents’ fears for her safety a decade ago. Now a naturalized citizen, Kim spoke of trying to reconcile her desire to repay the sacrifices made by her parents and grandparents with her decision to pursue a public interest career. Though her decision has challenged the dreams she has inherited, it is her heritage and family’s story that strengthens her fight for justice.
“One thing feels universal, and that is the American dream. The dream is to do better, to have more, to advance in the next generation. Having more always seems to imply building generational wealth. But isn’t the reason why money is so important is because it might buy freedom? I have this theory of private and public revolution. If you and your family don’t have enough to eat, a stable place to stay, a way to get an education, or an opportunity to make a living, how could you possibly be expected to contribute to a public revolution? Despite this, I know many do. I am standing here today because my family resisted through war and hunger, poverty and civil unrest. They waged private revolutions of survival so that I might be free to lead a public one. …My family has granted me the gift of freedom. And I will not waste it. Revolutions can take generations, and I’m in this for the long haul. My life is not my own, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to fight for the dignity and security of others.”
Kim will join the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia after graduation.
—————
Isabel Bysiewicz, who had long dreamed of becoming a public defender, talked about her experience as a 1L, observing the criminal case involving the driver who pled guilty to hitting her father while he was bicycling. She described the conflicted emotions she had about her career path in light of that experience and the life-altering injuries that her dad sustained.
“That fear and confusion wasn’t always working against me. For one, I’m more deliberate. In the past few years of law school, I’ve learned about what the positive project of abolition means. I wrote a paper about how sometimes people have this idea that people who have been harmed want retribution, want punishment, but that’s not really true on the whole. I came to the conclusion that public defenders aren’t advocating against someone but for a better system. I thought about how our work is really hard. It’s really easy to judge someone on their worst moment. I think I did that for a period of time with [the person who hit my dad]. And so the resistance that shaped me most over the past few years was quiet. It looked like questioning, overanalyzing my life, stress, shame. … I know that I didn’t need my dad’s accident to be a strong public defender. I don’t think it makes me a worse one, either.”
Bysiewicz will join the King County (Washington) Public Defender’s Office after graduation.
Michigan Law
The sixth-annual storytelling event “The Valiant” recently showcased members of Michigan Law’s public interest community. In the style of the nationally recognized live-storytelling on the Moth platform, “The Valiant” gave five students who are just weeks away from graduation the chance to speak about elements of their personal and professional journeys under the theme “resistance.”
“A lot of people in 1L year are told they’re here to learn to think like a lawyer. You write a memo, and you’re told at the beginning to take out the emotion, and take out the messy details, and be clean and concise and direct; it’s black or white, right or wrong, and there’s no gray. In reality, we all know there is a lot of gray. And that’s what we’re here to talk about tonight: the contradictions, the gray that we all live in and that exists in all human stories,” said Emily Bretz, ’11, Michigan Law’s public interest director, in her welcoming remarks.
Debra Chopp, associate dean for experiential education and a clinical professor of law, served as emcee for the event.
“As lawyers, one of our most important responsibilities is to tell the stories of our clients with fidelity to the facts in a way that makes them feel comfortable, in a way that makes them trust us, and in a way that’s persuasive to whoever is listening to the stories,” she said.
—————
Raisa Faatimah shared how a lunch talk at the Law School about gender apartheid against women in Afghanistan — on a day when she was attending a divorce hearing to end her arranged marriage — gave her perspective and a sense of identity.
“I suddenly remembered…I was a Muslim woman, the child of immigrants, sitting in one of the top universities in the country. And I had so many options that these women didn’t. But I was not so dissimilar from the women in Afghanistan. …And maybe if my life had been just a little more different, I might have been in a similar position. …I realized what a privilege I had to make mistakes, to learn from them, and have the legal right to walk away from them and build a better future for myself. …Every one of us will be vulnerable at some point, sometimes through conditions not of our own doings, sometimes through the decisions we’ve made on our own. But when we start to believe that we and others are immune to vulnerability, we start to ignore the ways that people are exploitable because of it. That afternoon reminded me exactly why law exists. As lawyers, we spend so much time studying rules and doctrine. But at its core, the legal profession is something so much simpler. It’s about making sure that people in vulnerable positions still have the ability to assert their dignity, their autonomy, and reclaim their futures.”
Faatimah plans to pursue a PhD related to history, law, and international development.
—————
Brad Gonzalez talked about how he grew up idolizing his older brother, George—and how his world was tilted when George was incarcerated while Gonzalez was in middle school. In law school, Gonzalez found his calling helping other kids, especially through the Law School’s Student Rights Project (SRP), a pro bono program that provides representation and support for students facing suspension and expulsion hearings.
“SRP is special to me because I get to work with students who are struggling…[like] Rob…who was 17 years old, a senior in high school. On the first day of school, he got into a fight. …Rob reminded me of my brother in a way that I can’t explain. He was a loud mouth; he was so cool. And he still is. I went to Rob’s hearing, and I made the arguments that we make every time: This is a kid in a single parent household; he was dealing with disabilities that were undiagnosed and untreated; and, frankly, an expulsion would only hurt the student. At Rob’s hearing, I realized that I was making the exact arguments that someone should have made for my older brother. I felt like I had changed someone’s life because I stood up in front of the school board, I told them the details that were getting this kid in this situation, and ultimately, Rob returned to school the very next day. He was a reminder to me why I came to law school: to support those who are in need.”
Gonzalez will join Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit after graduation.
—————
Noah Rotroff traced his journey from “tech bro” to JD “clowndidate.” As his political views shifted, Rotroff became morally opposed to his work in AI and left the industry. Hoping to make a difference through volunteering, he leaned on his Cirque du Soleil background and participated in several international humanitarian clowning trips. However, a moment in an Ecuadorian hospital pushed him to reckon with white saviorism and reflect on why he continues to quite literally dress like a clown every day.
“[We] were going into a sensitive place like a hospital with absolutely no training, complete strangers, thinking that we could just go in and cause chaos. That left a little bit of a stain. …But at the same time, I knew that clowning was the only thing that got me to the point where I could recognize that it was a problem. Because clowning is not only a method for me to spread joy and kindness, it is also a commitment to skepticism. …[W]hen I do the things that I do and look the way that I do, it’s an intrusive communication to everyone that is a rejection of the ideals that society upholds—[ideals] that continue to perpetuate the inequality and injustice in our system. Because the ideas of success and wealth and power and respect and formality, they all serve the same purpose. So every day I have to wake up, and I have to choose to be this person. I have to choose to reject all of those ideas because it would be easier to just fit in.”
Rotroff will join Northern Nevada Legal Aid after graduation.
—————
Jennifer Jiwon Kim reflected on her experiences protesting the first Trump administration as an immigrant and noncitizen. Today, in light of the second administration’s heightened attack on immigrants and the detention of student protestors supporting Palestine, she reconsiders her parents’ fears for her safety a decade ago. Now a naturalized citizen, Kim spoke of trying to reconcile her desire to repay the sacrifices made by her parents and grandparents with her decision to pursue a public interest career. Though her decision has challenged the dreams she has inherited, it is her heritage and family’s story that strengthens her fight for justice.
“One thing feels universal, and that is the American dream. The dream is to do better, to have more, to advance in the next generation. Having more always seems to imply building generational wealth. But isn’t the reason why money is so important is because it might buy freedom? I have this theory of private and public revolution. If you and your family don’t have enough to eat, a stable place to stay, a way to get an education, or an opportunity to make a living, how could you possibly be expected to contribute to a public revolution? Despite this, I know many do. I am standing here today because my family resisted through war and hunger, poverty and civil unrest. They waged private revolutions of survival so that I might be free to lead a public one. …My family has granted me the gift of freedom. And I will not waste it. Revolutions can take generations, and I’m in this for the long haul. My life is not my own, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to fight for the dignity and security of others.”
Kim will join the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia after graduation.
—————
Isabel Bysiewicz, who had long dreamed of becoming a public defender, talked about her experience as a 1L, observing the criminal case involving the driver who pled guilty to hitting her father while he was bicycling. She described the conflicted emotions she had about her career path in light of that experience and the life-altering injuries that her dad sustained.
“That fear and confusion wasn’t always working against me. For one, I’m more deliberate. In the past few years of law school, I’ve learned about what the positive project of abolition means. I wrote a paper about how sometimes people have this idea that people who have been harmed want retribution, want punishment, but that’s not really true on the whole. I came to the conclusion that public defenders aren’t advocating against someone but for a better system. I thought about how our work is really hard. It’s really easy to judge someone on their worst moment. I think I did that for a period of time with [the person who hit my dad]. And so the resistance that shaped me most over the past few years was quiet. It looked like questioning, overanalyzing my life, stress, shame. … I know that I didn’t need my dad’s accident to be a strong public defender. I don’t think it makes me a worse one, either.”
Bysiewicz will join the King County (Washington) Public Defender’s Office after graduation.
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