By Jack Hurbanis
After years of dreaming about it, earlier this year in March I made the decision to accept an offer from Mitchell Hamline Law School and begin my time as a law student this fall.
This idea started during my senior year of high school when, as a part of my government class, attorneys from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office came into our class for a week and led us through a mock trial. I volunteered to be the lead defense attorney after no one else raised their hand. I spent the week learning from practicing lawyers about what it looks like to defend someone in court. On Friday, we began our court proceedings with the lawyers acting as the judge and in the end, I successfully convinced a jury of my peers that my client was innocent.
The defense team, including me, won the automatic A grade promised to whichever team secured their desired verdict. The bell rang and I went to move onto my next class but before I could, the two lawyers pulled me aside and told me to “consider law school one day”.
“I wasn’t prepared for the single question I have gotten from 90% of people when I tell them I’m going to law school.”
Fast forward seven years and I was beginning to tell friends and family that the idea I had been considering outloud and in my head was becoming a reality. What I wasn’t prepared for was the single question I have gotten from 90% of people when I tell them: “Law school, I hear that’s tough. Are you worried?,” with a tone that I’ve just told them that I’m entering the NFL draft having ended my last football experience in 5th grade — eight days after practices started.
For the most part my answer has been, “Kinda, but not as worried as I thought I was going to be.” My career has included time spent as a community organizer, political campaign manager, country club line cook, film school student, large event planner, and bagel shop cashier — and I’m hoping each one of those stops along the way will make this next one just a little bit easier.
So, thank you to every person I have gotten work with since I started as the Congregational Organizer for Environmental Justice for the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (I don’t get to use my absurdly long job title for much longer, so I am trying to get as much use in as possible) because you have helped prepare me for my next step.