Daniel Sanchez
Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
3L, Evening Program
“I want to be the kind of lawyer that defends people that can’t
defend themselves.”
Daniel Sanchez always knew he would make a difference. While
obtaining his undergraduate degree in English literature at Queens
College, Daniel says it was his professors that pushed him to
pursue law.
“My English professors were the ones that convinced me to become
a lawyer. Through their teaching I became aware of a lot of the
socio-economic problems inherent in our country. It really affected
me, and I felt I had to do something about it. They told me that
becoming a part of our country’s judicial system would be the most
efficient way to make a change.”
Now a 3L law student in St. John’s School of Law, the
self-proclaimed “non-traditional” student is enrolled in the
University’s evening program. The program gives Daniel the
flexibility to work full-time during the day while pursuing his law
degree at night.
“Although working full time and going to school is difficult,
the law school is very supportive of students in the evening
program. One of the main reasons I decided to come to St. John’s
was the reputation it had for a great network of alumni. The other
reason was St. John’s reputation of producing high quality
attorneys who go into public service. I am a firm believer that we
all have a duty to help others.”
Once Daniel graduates, he will begin a career as a public
service lawyer for individuals he feels can benefit from his legal
expertise the most: “People who are impoverished as well as those
from underrepresented communities often don’t realize they have
legal rights and are subject to inadequate representation in court.
I want to reach out to these people because with my experience and
background I know I can provide them with quality legal
assistance.”
Daniel has already made a difference in the lives of some of his
fellow law students as the President of the Latin American Law
Students Association. As the organization’s president, Daniel is
responsible for helping Latin American students reach their full
potential:
“I feel it’s important to reach out to students from the Latin
American community because our group is so small. As president I
have the role of galvanizing new students to join the organization,
prepare them for law school and help them understand that we are
all in this together. Law school can be extremely competitive, so
my job is to make sure Latin American students have a support
system to help them do well academically.”
Daniel is also an Associate Managing Editor of the New York Real
Property Law Journal and says the time he spends involved in these
activities is an investment worth making:
“Juggling work and school with other activities is challenging,
but I do it because I love it. Helping people remains my number one
motivation. Being a law student at St. John’s has even inspired me
to raise the bar on my own expectations.”
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