 "Photo: Eliot Meyer")
Stillness filled the UT Law School's Eidman Courtroom as a panel of lawyers and judges opened the floor for questioning.
Finally, a high school student broke the silence. "Do y'all make good money?"
The courtroom filled with laughter.
"Well, yes it's a good job. But people don't get into it for the money," said State District Judge Gisela Triana.
The University's Law School hosted the third annual Color of Justice on Friday, a program designed by the National Association of Women Judges to encourage local minority high school students to consider a career in law.
The program is a live adaptation of the video version also titled "Color of Justice." In the video, different Texas minority lawyers and judges come together to tell their personal stories of how they landed their dream jobs.
Approximately 50 minority high school students from Lanier, Gonzalo Garza, Akins, Austin and LBJ high schools heard real-life testimonials of judges, lawyers, UT professors and law students.
Speakers included Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright, U.S. Circuit Judge Fortunato Benavides, State District Judge Wilford Flowers, Triana and former Third Court of Appeals Justice Bea Ann Smith.
"My parents really influenced me," Flowers said. "I was afraid not to do well. I had to meet their expectations."
The panel interacted with students to teach them about perseverance, hard work and seizing opportunities.
Triana said she wanted to stress to students the value of choices. Triana is seven months pregnant and said that it is possible to juggle both a family and a career.
"You don't have to be an either/or," she said. "That whole myth of 'you can have it all' is hard. It doesn't just happen. But you can choose, and it's all about choices, and that's really important to me."
Stephanie Kolmar, a first year law student and recipient of the Access to Justice Scholarship, said she believes the program is a great opportunity to make law school seem more approachable to high school students. The $1,000 scholarship, awarded by the National Association of Women Judges, rewards women who promote success in the justice system.
"Law school is not the most class-diverse place, so when you get here, it can be really intimidating," Kolmar said. "I mean, some of the students' parents belong to these huge law firms that I've never heard of, and I think it's really intimidating for students who come from other economic backgrounds."
Most of the students attended the program on a voluntary basis. Akins High School senior Tyra Dolphus said she went because criminal justice interests her.
"Their life stories and what they went through to get where they are is very encouraging to me," Dolphus said. "It made me want to go out there and search for scholarships so that I can go to college and get a job and get a career that pays well.
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