The call to “think like a lawyer” is a staple in legal education, but what does it truly mean in practice? Amy Leipziger, the 14th annual Distinguished Practitioner in Residence George Barrett Social Justice Program, explored this question during her recent talk at Vanderbilt Law. Leipziger is the Project Director of the Free To Be Youth Project at the Urban Justice Center, where she advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth, with a focus on issues of gender, poverty, and discrimination. She previously served as a senior staff attorney at Legal Services NYC, representing children with special needs and advocating for their educational rights, while addressing broader issues of poverty and discrimination.
The Value of a Non-Linear Path to Law
“Some of my prior jobs before law school,” Leipziger shared, “were waitress, bartender, paralegal, political fundraiser, coffee girl… and flower organizer.” Somewhat surprisingly, she considers her time as a bartender to have best prepared her for being a lawyer. The ability to listen and talk, which she honed through bartending, is “what made [her] an effective lawyer.”
Embracing the Unknowns in Legal Practice
After a challenging post-graduation year of job searching, Leipziger found work as a Housing Attorney at Legal Services in the Bronx, New York, where she focused on housing and public benefits. Initially overwhelmed by her lack of knowledge in the area of practice, she gradually gained confidence in her abilities—“bit by bit, I got better at it. I spent six years there.”
Her passion for impact litigation led her to a role as a Special Education Disability Attorney in Queens. Despite her initial unfamiliarity with special education law, she recognized the transferable skills gained from her prior experience as a Housing Attorney and, like in her previous role, ultimately found confidence in her ability to succeed in the new position. Leipziger emphasized the importance of embracing uncertainty in a legal career, advocating for openness and enthusiasm in unfamiliar areas, and recognizing that transferable skills can be vital to professional growth and success. As she put it, “The humbling act is also the empowering act of saying, ‘I don’t know anything, but I know I’ve got these skills, and these skills are going to get me here.’”
Empathy in Lawyering
Leipziger emphasized how crucial it is to prioritize empathy in lawyering, especially when working with clients from vulnerable populations. She explained the importance of going beyond legal strategy to truly understanding the emotional and psychological experiences of the client. Reflecting on her work in special education, Leipziger noted that “[Educational professionals] had to have conversations with social workers and look holistically at what was happening in a child’s home before making determinations about what sort of special education services.” This compassionate approach to lawyering and problem solving, according to Leipziger, is vital to ensuring that legal decisions incorporate the full context of a client’s life instead of simply addressing the surface issues.
She also highlighted the importance of empathy in cases involving trauma, particularly when handling cases regarding sexual assault and harassment. By employing empathetic lawyering in her own practice, she has successfully advocated for systemic changes that extend beyond individual cases, pushing for a wider understanding of trauma in the legal system. For Leipziger, empathy is not just an emotional response to a client’s situation—it is a tool that empowers lawyers to form true and deep connections with their clients and drive meaningful legal change.
