KU Law Blog

According to the American Bar Association, Native American attorneys make up 0.3 percent of the more than 1 million lawyers in the United States; I want to change that.

Now, more than ever, Native Americans need capable, committed legal representation within their tribes, communities and organizations. My intention in pursuing a law degree is to position myself for a career that will enable me to do just that. I am a member of an emerging group of capable and ambitious American Indian students who, when given the opportunity, not only overcome the social and economic barriers that constrained earlier generations of American Indians, but embrace the challenges of higher education and soar to new heights of achievement. Students like me follow in the footsteps of those earlier generations of Native Americans who sacrificed, struggled and endured so that my generation could one day become leaders, confronting and overcoming the obstacles of our time. I am grateful, and as I pursue my career in law, I will extend my hand and guide others within our communities – as well as other underrepresented communities – on the same (or similar) path.

A creative outlet

While I plan to study tribal law at KU, I also have media law in my sights. I began a career in photography at the age of 15 as a house photographer at the concert/event arena in my hometown of Billings, Montana. I photographed bands including Nine Inch Nails, Buckcherry, Avenged Sevenfold, Puddle of Mudd, Sugarland, Theory of Deadman, Shinedown and others. Inspired by that experience, I enrolled in film school at Montana State University in Bozeman, combining my passion for photography with writing and technical filmmaking skills. While still in school, I landed my first job on a feature-length film. I wanted to learn more about the administrative aspect of film production, so I worked closely with the first and second assistant directors on that feature. Soon after, I landed my next feature film job; however, this time, I advanced from a production assistant intern to an IMDb-credited second assistant director. It is uncommon to advance so quickly, but filmmaking is an industry that rewards ambition. I went on to second assistant direct my third feature film, and I followed that by writing, directing and producing small projects of my own. I eventually ended up in Los Angeles, as most aspiring filmmakers do. While living and working in Hollywood and the greater Los Angeles area, l realized that I wanted to complete my degree and pursue a graduate program. I believed that an advanced education would, in the long run, open more doors and create more opportunities to make an enduring impact on issues that mattered to me. I made my way to Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, and two years later I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in indigenous and American Indian studies.

Balancing school and business

I come from a long line of creative people, so art is intrinsic to my life. When I am creating, I am truly happy. Doing photography is an outlet for me which, as a law student, is an important thing to have.  Currently, I own and operate my own photography business – Haley Rains Photography – and continue to do concert, event, portrait and other types of photography as well as graphic design, filmmaking and other creative projects. It is my goal to incorporate my photography and filmmaking skills into my legal education and to return to Los Angeles after I earn my J.D. to continue my work in the film industry.

I feel truly privileged to be a member of the KU Law family, and I look forward to seeing the things I and my extraordinary classmates will accomplish.

– Haley Rains is a first-year KU Law student from Billings, Montana. She operates Haley Rains Photography, which can be found on Facebook and online.

Law student with OCD manages condition with accommodations, perseverance

My friends from high school like to joke around about the new, low-key version of Emily Brown. They saw me at my worst: unmedicated, with a mind that could never sleep or quiet down.

I didn’t sleep. I barely ate; I weighed under 90 pounds. I had panic attacks daily, and I had a fever or an infection almost every week. The doctors tested me for everything under the sun. At one point, a doctor looked at me and asked if what I was experiencing was “all in my head.”

It was — in a way.

My parents pushed me to get psychiatric help. But I was reluctant. My illness was about control, and I thought it was something I should be able to handle. If it was in my head, why couldn’t I fix it? But at one point during my junior year, I sat on the floor of my bedroom. I knew things needed to change. I was tired.

I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) soon after that, and since then, I’ve been taking medication to help alleviate my symptoms.

When I first considered law school, I was hesitant. While I thrived in high-stress environments, I also knew that my mental illness did, too.

I took the plunge anyway. The first year was tough. The adjustment to a new schedule, to new people was physically stressful. But I made it through.

I was lucky enough to make a few friends and find a place for myself in Green Hall. Director of Career & Student Counseling Services Leah Terranova told me about academic accom-modations, and for the first time in my life, I did not have to spend my finals worrying about the person sitting next to me. By getting my own room, I could control my environment and focus on what was important: the test.

In the past, I’ve been distracted by the simplest things. How close someone is next to me, where their stuff is located and how neat it is. Someone rubbing their jeans, a fly, the sound of a ticking clock. Someone shifting in their seat or moving frequently could leave me unable to focus for an entire test period. But space was the key factor in my ability to focus.

By myself, I could focus perfectly.

I watched my first criminal trial during my first summer in law school. I realized that day that I wanted to do criminal law and to be a prosecutor.

For someone with OCD, for someone with any anxiety disorder, this was a terrifying thought. Public speaking was not my strength, and I saw how much analysis and argumentation had to be done without any preparation. I wasn’t sure if I was cut out for it; I wasn’t sure if I could handle the stress of being in the courtroom all day, of being a litigator. But the stubborn person I am, I decided to try it.

I learned this summer that my mental illness did not have to hold me back in the real world. I interned at the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and I had one of the best experiences of my life. I had the chance to try my first jury trial. I stood up, spoke, and I did not puke — not once. The defendant decided to testify last minute, and the defense introduced wild evidence on the last day. I had absolutely no control, and I loved every moment of it.

Law is not an easy career choice, and with the added stress of having a mental illness, it can be an even more difficult field to work in. But that is the beauty of law. It is terrifying, overwhelming and challenging, but when you put that pen to paper for the first time at your job or when you stand in front of a judge and speak, you know exactly why the fight is worth it.

— Emily Brown is a third-year KU Law student from Overland Park.