Jade Turner: Activist for Equal Justice

<<"As a teen I remember him coming home and telling me about his caseload. This fascinated me," the 25-year-old recalls. "You see, my father practices criminal law at the appellate level, and the stories he used to tell me about his clients were really interesting."

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Stories like the time her father, an African American, represented a skinhead taught Turner about the legal system and her future in it.

"I can remember one about a skinhead that my father had to defend. He told me when the family of the client came into his office they were shocked to find out that a black man was defending their blatantly racist son," she explains. "As a child this really had an effect on me — justice, equal justice, goes beyond how one may feel personally about a client. My dad felt that this person, despite his beliefs, deserved his day or even days in court. This is one of the reasons I want to become an attorney, because I believe in justice and the world needs good attorneys."

Growing up in Sacramento, Turner has stayed local for law school and is now in her second year at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

"Its proximity to the capital is very probably one of its best features," she says. "If you want to do government work, then getting a job at the capital is easier in my opinion."

Turner did her undergraduate work at the University of California — Davis, where she majored in political science and international relations. She is planning to use her law degree in the corporate sector and perhaps do some international or domestic advocacy work as well but still isn't positive about her ultimate career choice.

"Honestly, I don't know exactly where I want to work for the next 20 years," she admits. "However, I know that I do want a life and a family. So ideally I'd like to work somewhere where the hours are reasonable and pay is exceptional."

As for her future in law, Turner says that "the thought of getting out and applying all this knowledge" is what excites her the most.

So far, Turner has enjoyed her time learning in law school, but she recalls a time when things did not always go so smoothly, especially when her phone went off in her contracts class.
 

Q. What do you do for fun?

A. Fun? What's that? Just kidding...actually I go out with friends.

Q. What CD is in your CD player right now, or what was the last song you heard?

A. "Nolita Fairytale" and Kanye West.

Q. What is the last magazine you read?

A. I don't read magazines.

Q. What is your favorite TV show?

A. CSI.

Q. What is something most people don't know about you?

A. This is probably something people don't know about law students — we cry a lot during finals.

"At first I just looked around thinking, 'Gosh, some of these people in here are so rude.' This is when my neighbors started looking at me. I began to check my pockets...sure enough, it was me, and at that point the phone had been ringing for about a minute and a half," she says. "I guess I had forgotten that I had changed my ring tone to some 'raver'-type music. I sit in the front row, so everyone knew it was me. My professor then said, 'I don't know whether to be mad or start dancing.'"

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Embarrassing moments aside, Turner is mostly just "thrilled — and nervous — about getting out and helping people." She is planning to intern this summer at the Third District Court of Appeals.

Turner also has some blunt words of advice for her peers about entering law school.

"Dump the boyfriend. It's very difficult to have a relationship in law school, and I don't think most students realize how emotional this experience is. Law school is not only physically and mentally draining, it's emotionally draining," she says candidly. "Looking back, the less 'other' emotional drains you have — boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. — the more equipped you are to handle law school."

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Turner hopes to graduate in 2010.