Briana Hammons

Motivation for Law School 

I’ve known that I wanted to be a lawyer since I was in the first grade. Over the years, I always enjoyed watching court TV and sitcoms about people seeking justice with my dad. After I graduated college, I took a few gap years between undergrad and law school to ensure that a law degree was necessary for my career path, because it is such a weighty commitment. I learned so much about statewide and national criminal justice reform while working for the Fines and Fees Justice Center, but I was often reminded that getting my law degree was vital for me to provide direct services to folks pushed further into poverty by the justice system. Getting my legal education was the only way that I could see myself achieving the impact that I wanted to make.  

Experiential Learning 

As a 2L, I had the amazing opportunities to be part of Temple’s National Trial team and serve as Co-President of the Black Law Students’ Association. These are two of my most cherished experiences of my Temple Law career. Being part of the trial team gave me a glimpse into how intense trial preparation is and showed me that even with all its rigor, I absolutely love advocating in a courtroom. Being the Co-President of BLSA reaffirmed that I have a heart for bringing together minority folks in the legal field and for creating safe spaces for people in these groups to thrive. Because I held these positions, I know at least two ways to make my legal career a well-rounded and fulfilling journey.  

Advice to current or prospective students 

Now that I’ve graduated, there are two pieces of advice that I will continually share with current and incoming law school students. The first is to stay in your own lane, which I know is a loaded statement. It’s applicable to law school and many other aspects of life. It’s especially relevant in law school because you’re surrounded by people who are leaders, often Type-A, and exude confidence even though they may not have a clue about what they’re doing. And it’s easy to fall prey to thinking that you should follow other people’s lead in terms of study habits, exam preparation, and job hunting. I staunchly caution every aspiring or current law student to make their experience their own by experimenting with what may be best for them on all those fronts, implementing those best practices, and sticking with them regardless of what other people are doing. The second piece of advice is to remember that nothing lasts forever. Especially as a 1L, it seems like the readings, stress, and semester will never end, when it always does. Remembering that helped me stay grounded and avoid being overly burdened by whatever law school was throwing at me.  

Networking advice

Simply put, networking is hard, because it can feel awkward and unnatural. However, I can attest to the fact that networking with the right people has the potential to shape one’s career. For example, both of my summer jobs during law school and my post-law school full-time position stemmed from a conversation I had with a technician at my dental office. (Bizarre, I know). The technician’s mom turned out to be a lawyer and she put me in touch with the bar association that later had a job fair where I got my 2L summer associate position. That experience shows that networking opportunities don’t always have to be in formal settings. I think what matters most is to be genuine about your goals and interests and to stay connected with attorneys and legal practitioners who take an interest in you. And for formal networking events, try to recruit a friend to go with you and set a goal for how many people you want to talk to before leaving.   

What do you wish you knew before starting law school? 

wish I sincerely appreciated the reality that everyday life does not stop just because I am in law school. Major life events like weddings and loss happened all around me and to me during my three years, which made law school even more of a burden at times. Having some type of savings would have been a major help when I wanted to buy gifts to celebrate friends and family on special occasions or to buy flights to be physically there. So, if I could give myself some advice before starting law school, it would have been to be frugal with my refund check and to save as much as I could to make it stretch.