I’ve always called myself a “law kid.†I think it’s a sign that I knew from the start that I wasn’t a traditional law student and that I didn’t want to be a typical lawyer. As I look to the future, I know I don’t want a job that keeps me trapped in an office all day. I want to be a lawyer who is also a lecturer, writer, and podcaster.
One of my priorities in law school, regardless of how busy I am, is to stay involved in my community. I’m pleased and proud that I’ve been able to volunteer with Ignite Phoenix and Improv AZ, attend #evfn, and find time and forums for singing. I hope these activities will contribute to a happy and successful career after law school.
I will graduate from Arizona State University in May 2011, and I will take the Bar Exam in July. My goal is to be “the lawyer to the geeks†and specialize in internet law and intellectual property. I also hope I can do something to prevent cyberharassment through public speaking. I experienced cyberharassment as an adult and it was awful. I can’t image how hard it must be for a child to go through that.
When I applied to law school, the average debt for a student graduating from my program was ~$50,000. Today, the average debt is over $89,000! That’s insane! Â How did my education get $40,000 more expensive?! Â I have one semester left, plus studying for and taking the Bar. Â I’m reaching out to the online community to help me pay for it.
The Program
Sponsor A Law Kid gives anyone who wants to the opportunity to sponsor my legal education for a day. It will run from January 1, 2011 until July 27, 2011 – the last day of the Arizona Bar Exam. Each day can have one sponsor.
I will also be tweeting every day about the life of a law student, so anyone who follows me can vicariously go to law school for a semester.
The Price
I am using the same price structure as Jason Sadler of I Wear Your Shirt. The cost to sponsor January 1st is only $1, and the price for each subsequent day goes up by $1 (Jan. 2nd = $2, Jan. 3rd = $3, Jul. 27th = $208).
Why Sponsor A Law Kid?
Why should anyone give up a couple bucks, or a couple hundred bucks, to help pay for my education? In exchange for your sponsorship, for each day that I’m sponsored, I’ll publish a blog that tells the world how awesome you, your organization, and/or your products are. Also, it will give you a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that you’re part of something awesome.
I can’t promise you that I’ll keep you out of jail once I’m a lawyer to give free legal advice – that would violate the code of ethics. However, when I make it on the legal lecture circuit, and I have to decide where I’m speaking next, it will be hard for me to decline an invitation from one of my law school sponsors.
How Do I Sponsor A Day?
Please contact me at SponsorALawKid@gmail.com to claim the day you want to sponsor. You can pick your date based on price, or might want to pick a day because it’s a special day for you or me. I will be running a half marathon on January 16th ($16), and my graduation day is expected to be May 12th or 13th ($132 or $133). Pi Day is March 14th ($73) and Star Wars Day is May 4th ($124).
What Else Can I Do?
Spread the word! Send this to everyone who might be interested in sponsoring a law kid or following a sponsored law kid. I’ll be using the hashtag #SALK to tweet about my law school exploits.   Please follow me on Twitter and I hope to have a Facebook cause for this up soon.
The Sponsor A Law Kid Facebook page can be found here.
The most recent update about Sponsor A Law Kid can be found here.