Regan Osborn
The University of Virginia School of Law
Eskew Law 2022 Law School Scholarship Contest Essay
During college, I researched the racial disparities in the American correctional system, the protection of white interests in society, and the censorship of race-related topics in education. This exposure has heightened my desire to give a voice to those who are systematically silenced and has shown me that lawyers, in their ability to advocate for individuals and ideas, have the opportunity and the responsibility to combat systemic inequality/racism in society. As an attorney, I hope to advocate for change in the way the legal system approaches racial discrimination. For example, McCleskey v. Kemp (1987), states that statistical data showing racial discrimination is not sufficient to warrant a case’s reevaluation under the Fourth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Consequently, it prevents America’s history of systemic racism in the criminal justice system from being admitted into evidence. In doing this, the Court eliminates a large part of the appellant’s already very limited ability to offer proof of racially discriminatory intent.
Furthermore, because direct proof of racial discrimination is rarely available in this era due to the use of race-neutral language, this burden makes it nearly impossible to win a case’s reevaluation under the Equal Protection Clause. However, if the Court were to reevaluate and permit historical/statistical data to be used as evidence that racial discrimination does impact individual cases, it would become possible to prove racially discriminatory intent and would offer everyone, even the historically discriminated against, equal protection under the law. I aspire to use my career to advocate for such change because it is not enough to simply advocate for legislation geared towards furthering equality in society; we must also actively break down the old rulings that continue to oppose it. Thus, because the legal field will allow me to join those committed to creating a more equitable world, there is nowhere else I would rather be.
Attending UVA Law will allow me to learn the skills necessary to become a fierce advocate for legal change. While in school, I hope to get involved with the Center of Race and Law and the Appellate Litigation Clinic. Both programs focus on oral and written advocacy and offer exceptional opportunities to improve critical skills. After law school, I hope to work for a litigation group focused on substantive issues such as racial discrimination in sentencing, prisoners’ rights, and fair housing practices. As an attorney in my local community, I hope to foster positive change by hosting accessible record expungement consultations, know your rights presentations, and even neighborhood meet-a-cop experiences. These events will help combat the structural inequality, generational poverty, and racism prevalent in my community. I want to become a lawyer so I can change the narrative that systemic racism does not affect or exist in the legal system. Those victimized by social reproduction, stereotypes, and our occasionally apathetic legal system deserve nothing less.
