Pierre Robertson - First Year Attorney

First Year Attorney

Q&A

Pierre Robertson is a first year attorney from Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Tulsa in 2014 with Teach for America and taught fourth-grade for three years. He then went to law school and participated in various activities, serving as President of the Student Bar Association, Tulsa Law Review, American Association for Justice moot court travel team, and a Director on the Public Interest Board, among other organizations. He currently works as a Staff Attorney for the Housing and ReEntry Teams at Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your legal career?

As cliché as it sounds, helping others. Working in housing during this pandemic, I often see people when they have endured so much before I meet them, and knowing I have a chance to help them is priceless.

Who or what inspired your choice to work in the legal profession?

The ability to help others and to be an advocate for those who could not advocate for themselves. My family had a strong influence as well.

What advice do you share for young persons who want a legal career?

With your parent’s permission, shadow an attorney. Oftentimes people think attorneys are only in the courtroom, but the beautiful aspect of the legal profession is that attorneys can be in both courtrooms and board rooms. By shadowing an attorney, young people can have an idea of what “a day in the life” of an attorney is like and no two days are the same.

What would you recommend for firms or schools to do in order to promote diversity inclusion in the future?

To promote diversity and inclusion, I’d recommend additional programming and funding. Before my legal career, I worked as an elementary school teacher. Bringing my fourth-grade students on field trips was invaluable as they were able to physically touch and experience numerous careers. Bringing students to visit firms and law schools is crucial as it shows them what their potential future could look like. Increasing funding for scholarships is paramount as it can help lower the many barriers to entry.

What can a lawyer, law student, or law school Bar Associations do today to help encourage young persons to be aware and involved in a positive way in diversity issues?

The key is to meet young people where they are and show them why diversity is so important. Most young people don’t wake up in the morning thinking about the importance of diversity. But by showing why diversity and representation matter, may help. Lawyers and law students can help by volunteering in schools either as mentors or by speaking to a group of students. This commitment could be once a week or once a semester, but the few hours it would take out of your day could change a student’s life. Law school bar associations can help by getting young people involved. TU Law annually hosts at least two programs a year where middle and high school students are invited to the law school to participate in a mock trial, tour the law school, and speak with law students. These programs are sponsored by the law school but various organizations such as the Black Law Student Association, Latino Law Student Association, the Student Bar Association, the Public Interest Board, and many others consistently help out.

What are some educational experiences or books you recommend to help others grow or understand?

I highly recommend reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The movie Just Mercy is great, but the book is far more impactful since it covers everything the movie does but also includes additional stories and statistics about the criminal justice system. It references the impact of the criminal justice system on both children and minorities and weaves together the stories of various individuals, showing the impact the system has on a person.

Law Day Fact #1 - In 1957 American Bar Association president Charles S. Rhyne envisioned a special day for celebrating our legal system.