Before moving to Philadelphia this summer I had almost always lived in the suburbs, and I was curious about the city. Now, having been here for a few months, I am finding it impossible to not get swept up by the historic events that have happened all around. I’ve walked past historic signs about Billie Holiday’s former house, the oldest surviving photograph, the Lombard Street riot, the docking of slave ships, and countless others. And as a law student in the city where our country was founded and these words were immortalized, this sentence is beginning to take on a deeper meaning: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Institutional inequality is what brought me to law school. Because that has been implemented in large part via housing discrimination, I wanted to move out of the suburbs—where only people considered white have been allowed to live—and into the city. In the process, I have experienced many logistical challenges that other law students coming from the suburbs may face. For instance, it took nearly two months to get my PPA street parking pass, which required a trip to Penndot to switch my license, several phone calls with my bank to get my title, a visit to AAA (or an “autotag place”) for my registration, and getting my car reinspected. I am not used to cyclists who seem determined to sue me for a tort by consistently cutting in front of my car. (Aren’t they supposed to obey traffic rules?!) I’ve learned that the police are not as responsive as they are in the suburbs. I’m even learning to understand the local accent and vocabulary – fyi, something that sounds like “clums” refers to Columbus Blvd.
My Facebook friends have been treated to a daily chronicling of all of my experiences in the city, most of which really have been truly amazing. From beautiful street art and mosaics, to the more well-known Philadelphia landmarks, to the strange and unusual sights and sounds that you only get while living in a city.
I’ve experienced my first Uber ride, developed a Spruce Street Harbor Park obsession, enjoyed Independence Beer Garden, taken advantage of the Barnes Foundation free first Sundays (note: don’t go during Made in America!), experienced Popemania, got to see my favorite band, and attended too many law school happy hours to count. I’ve discovered Lorenzo’s giant slices of pizza, Jim’s Steaks, Marrakesh’s 7 course Moroccan dinner for $25, Blackbird’s delicious vegan food, and the amazing cheese plates at Talula’s Garden. There is so much to do here; I could spend the rest of my career exploring it all if I wanted to.
I also now see homeless people every day. That isn’t necessarily new to me, but I had never seen them where I live, and so frequently. For a large city, Philadelphia has a high rate of poverty and very segregated neighborhoods. I live in a somewhat touristy area, so I see homeless people every day. It serves as a constant reminder—ironically, in the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed—that not everyone has the incredible opportunities that I have.
These interactions are a discomforting reminder of what motivated me to apply to law school. My family has paid a substantial amount of money in the past to live in areas insulated from poverty and everything that comes along with it. As I learned more about the bubble I grew up in, I felt the need to break out of it, and I am excited to join those who are working tirelessly to change our broken system—even in my 1L year. In fact, part of what drew me to Temple is their serious commitment to social justice, as seen in the Sheller Center and student organizations like the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and School Discipline Advocacy Service (SDAS), which work closely with the community.
My biggest surprise, however, is this: after two months in Philly, I haven’t felt unsafe anywhere. Although my suburban conditioning taught me to expect to feel that way, I’ve learned that I can pretty much travel anywhere in the city and feel safe. People here are so friendly – way friendlier than Manhattan, although that’s still “the city” to me.
Overall, I’ve come to feel at home very quickly here. Philly is an incredible place to go to law school, and Temple Law is an amazing school for so many reasons. Everyone says Temple runs the Philly legal scene. Our top-ranked Trial Ad program and award-winning Trial Team draw law students from across the country, our Law and Public Policy and Transactional Skills programs are opportunities you won’t find at another school, and there are a ton of in-house and external clinics.
A desire to move to the city is part of what brought me to Temple, and that adjustment has been just as exciting—and slightly scary—as I expected. More and more, I’m seeing that Temple truly is the perfect environment to start my legal career. I am so excited to join the efforts to serve Philadelphians in continually making Philly a better place, and enabling equal access for all to the enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
