Editor’s note: our “Expert Opinion” series offers thoughts, insights, and career advice from public interest lawyers, law students, and others who work for the public good.  This week’s Expert is Michele Storms, Assistant Dean for Public Service & executive director of the W.H. Gates Public Service Law Program at the University of Washington School of Law.  On to the interview with Michele…

Michele Storms

Can you give us a brief outline of how you got to the job you are in today?

I went to law school because I wanted to be a civil legal aid lawyer and I was really fortunate that I…actually had a legal aid job by the time I graduated.  At my first position I represented domestic violence survivors in protection order and family law cases.  I would have happily done a legal aid practice for my whole career but about six years into my first job I learned of an opportunity to be a clinical teacher at a law school.  Being in clinic during law school was the best part of school and I thought being a clinical law teacher would be amazing.  I was lucky to be hired at the University of Washington School of Law and spent the next 8 years teaching clinics, family law and child advocacy.  As much as I loved doing the clinical work, legal aid was still my passion and when an opportunity arose to return to legal aid on the management side I went for it and then spent the next four years as a statewide advocacy coordinator back at legal aid.  I worked on statewide training events, helped to facilitate several substantive area task forces, mentored and supervised advocates and did a lot of community outreach around access to justice issues.   Now I am back at the University of Washington School of Law – I first returned to direct the Gates Scholarship Program and the job has now evolved into being the Assistant Dean for Public Service.

Was this position what you originally planned on doing, or was your career trajectory part of an evolving process?  

I never imagined I would one day be an assistant dean at a law school!  Getting to where I am today has definitely been an evolution.   What I learned from my first few positions was that I loved public interest law but I also loved working with students.  I’m really fortunate that I am able to combine these two loves.  Although I no longer work directly with clients on legal cases, I am helping many students achieve their public interest dreams by providing career coaching, access to programming, speakers, mentors, funding and more.

How did your contacts with previous employers, professors, and colleagues influence your job search, if any?  

I’ve had some great mentors over time.  I’ve been lucky to have people who were honest with me about my skills and talents and areas for growth and this has helped me figure out which opportunities are best for me.  I’ve also always gotten involved in a lot of committees and community work over the years and I’ve met so many amazing people.  Learning about what other people do and how they’ve achieved their positions has also been educational for me.  I’m thrilled with what I am doing now but who knows what else I might do in my career!  I like to keep an open mind and heart.

Would you change your preparation for this position in any way if you had the chance? 

Every position I had —whether paying job or volunteer opportunity — taught me things that I would need for the next position.  I didn’t always know which position would come next but I dug into every opportunity with gusto and gave it all my best.  So I probably would not change anything!

A very real concern for many law students hesitant to pursue public interest jobs is how to pay off student loans. How have you utilized repayment plans or other programs to balance paying student debt, if any, with living expenses?   

Fortunately during my first year of law school at Gonzaga University School of Law I applied for and was selected to be a Thomas More Scholar.  The Thomas More Program paid my tuition for my 2 and 3L years so I only took out a small number of loans.  I lived very frugally during law school which paid off in the end.  When I started my first civil legal aid job at Evergreen Legal Services they had a loan repayment program which I was able to participate in for the first few years of my practice.   Even though my salary was low, I paid as much as I could in addition to the payments made by my employer so it helped me to get my loans paid off relatively quickly.   Law school costs a lot more now than it did when I went to law school.  So when students are considering law school I always encourage them to apply to schools that have public service scholarships and to apply for the programs – don’t think you don’t have a chance.  You have to go for it.  And then, regardless of whether you get into a scholarship program, take as few loans as you possibly can.

What advice would you offer to law students seeking a position in the public interest arena?

If you really have a passion for public interest work then there is a way to make it happen, you should never give up but you do have to be patient and strategic.  I really wanted to do civil legal aid and those jobs don’t come open very often – but they do come.  If you can be flexible about where you start your practice you’ll increase your chances of getting to do the kind of work you care about so being willing to move someplace new is a plus.   The first job I applied for was in a small rural community I had never visited before.  I would have gone anywhere to do this work!   I wasn’t hired for that position but I think my willingness to interview for what some considered a less desirable position opened other doors for me.  Volunteering is also a great way to get your foot in the door.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who have the kind of job you want.  Shadow them, seek them out as mentors and offer to help out however you can.  I see this technique working for recent grads over and over again.  The need for public interest lawyers is huge even though the resources are limited.  There are so many people who need representation and so many causes that need champions.  So most importantly, never give up!