The Real Work of Lawyering

“Based on TV and movies, people think we are constantly in the courtroom arguing and objecting in front of a judge and jury. I think it’s really important to to help students see that there are a lot of different paths in the law. If you are a strong researcher or writer, that is going to make you a much better lawyer than simply being loud.” 

A personal injury attorney, Harriman says he chose USF Law in large part because of its culture of giving back to the community. This ethos inspired him to help high school students learn about the day-to-day work of an attorney. “You have to think how many people helped me along the way. How many people took time out of their day to guide me when I needed guidance?” 

At the start of each school year, the Law Academy kicks off with a panel discussion featuring Harriman and other mentors, including fellow alumni Allison Wang ‘05 and Neha Nayak ‘24. They share with students their experiences in law school, the twists and turns of their careers, and what it’s really like to work in the legal field. Each mentor is then paired with a group of six or seven students, guiding them throughout the school year. 

“You get to know these students really well,” Harriman says. “Over the course of the program, you learn about their interests, answer their questions, and help them think critically about their studies.”

In the spring, students dive into a hands-on project, tackling a real-world issue in their community. “One group, for example, looked at homelessness in San Francisco,” Harriman shares. “It’s an issue that the students recognize is a big problem. They examined the legal constraints, and explored potential solutions… what we can do as a city, as a government, and as a community to address this issue.” 

Harriman hopes more lawyers will get involved with the Law Academy as mentors. “The time commitment for a mentor is about two hours, once a week, for sixteen weeks a year,” he says. “We want lawyers who can show the students that you can go into the law no matter what background you come from. And we want mentors who are litigators, criminal attorneys, big firm lawyers, small firm lawyers, government lawyers, judges, and retired lawyers. The more perspectives we can offer, the better equipped these students will be to understand the possibilities in a legal career.”