Dawn Edwards, Class of 2007
Undergraduate: University of Georgia
Hometown: Atlanta
“I’ve always known I wanted to be a lawyer,” says 2007 graduate Dawn Edwards, who became interested in child advocacy law in middle school as a result of depressingly frequent news reports about children in foster care who “ended up abused or murdered,” and recalls watching friends who lacked strong family support systems struggle. “I realized how important it is for children, whose minds are developing, to have a loving environment and a supportive home,” she says. “My career interest is to focus on protecting the interests of abused and neglected children in a juvenile justice role, in the criminal sector or in the civil sector focusing on adoption or policies related to child welfare.”
Dawn joined the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, where she represents indigent clients in a variety of civil issues including employment, public benefits, housing, consumer protection, divorce, and bankruptcy, after her graduation in May 2007.
Dawn, whose plan was always to return home to Atlanta to practice public interest law, spent the summers between her 1L and 2L years interning with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and with the Office of the General Counsel for Atlanta Public Schools. She believes her practical leadership experience as president of the Black Law Students Association and vice president of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Organization will help her in the public interest arena, and that Vanderbilt's cohesive culture offers a solid grounding in the skills needed to encourage positive collaboration in the non-profit sector.
”I was initially interested in Vanderbilt’s location and positive reputation,” she says, “but I was sold on the supportive environment and the truly dedicated faculty and staff. The environment is friendly and cohesive. Even with differing opinions, there is a mutual respect throughout the school. While we are all competitors, the competition is nothing but friendly, and we are all trying to win, as opposed to trying to make others lose. The law school is a fertile ground for debate and discussions on a scholarly level that maintains respect for all students. We had fun together, we studied together, and we grew together. We were a family.”
She encourages students who want to learn more about public interest law to get involved with the law school’s Legal Aid Society. “The Legal Aid Society is great about creating opportunities for as much or as little involvement as you want,” she says.
