Member Spotlight: Vanessa Sophir

一些澳博app利用自己的法律网络，另一些澳博app则在足球比赛和夏令营活动中建立联系. For attorney Vanessa Sophir, it was both.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we spotlight Sophir, 她曾是一名公设辩护人，在“重返赛场”之前，为了抚养三个孩子，她休息了10年.”

如今，她是银泉市哈姆林法律集团的澳博app, Maryland, representing indigent parents.

How did you end up in law school?

我(从康奈尔大学)毕业时，经济正在走下坡路。, and I was wary of job hunting. 我知道无论我决定做什么，法律都会是一个很好的背景，所以我去了法学院. 我还对历史和政治感兴趣，而澳博app通常是这些领域的重要参与者.

I went to Boston College Law School. I found most of law school pretty tedious and theoretical, 但我喜欢我在学校的青少年辩护诊所做的实际工作. 这家诊所帮助我培养了与儿童和家庭打交道的热情, developing meaningful relationships with clients, and representing clients in court.

What was your first job after you graduated law school?

After law school, I clerked for Judge Craig Iscoe, 就在他被任命为哥伦比亚特区高等法院法官之后. 那是他当法官的第一年，我是他的第一个书记员，所以这很令人兴奋. It was like we were figuring things out together. 通常，法律助理从之前的助理那里获得了丰富的信息. I was doing everything from scratch.

I lucked out because Judge Iscoe had a criminal docket. 我觉得我不会觉得民事诉讼有那么有趣. The work was busy and fast-paced, with plenty of drama. Judge Iscoe was a great mentor, and we still keep in touch.

Where did you work after your clerkship?

那年年底，我成为费尔法克斯县的助理公设辩护澳博app. When I started, they had me in traffic court. 那是一次很好的经历，因为我每天要为5到10个案子辩护. After a few months, 新任首席公设辩护澳博app问我真正想做什么, and I said “juvenile defense.她说:“很好，让我们把你放在那里，因为没有太多澳博app愿意做这件事。. If you feel passionately about that, you should do it.”

I really loved it. 少年法庭通常不太注重惩罚，而更注重改造. With these teenagers, 我希望这将是他们与刑事司法系统的第一次也是最后一次互动.

I eventually...got a job at a small litigation firm in D.C., where I focused on litigation. I got to practice in federal court, and I got exposure to all different areas of the law, 包括一些白领刑事辩护和家庭法律. I left when I became pregnant with twins.

You took some time off practicing law. Why?

I stayed home for about 10 years with my three children. I love kids, and I enjoyed that time with them. My husband works very long hours, 在我出生的那几年，对我的家人来说，待在家里是有意义的. It was a personal choice. 我一直认为，当我有孩子的时候，我想和他们一起度过最初的几年.

How did you get back into practicing law?

当我最小的孩子开始上全日制幼儿园时，我决定回去. 我的孩子们不再那么需要我了，我觉得是时候回去工作了. I was already barred in Virginia and D.C.但在我不活跃的那段时间里，我们搬到了马里兰州. I wanted a job close to home, so I took the Maryland Bar.

我开始通过让人们知道我又回到了游戏中来建立人脉. 一件有趣的事情是，我不需要离开我通常的朋友和熟人的网络. My friend’s mother is a public defender. We chatted at soccer games and camp drop-off, 我告诉她我要去马里兰州实习. 她告诉我马里兰州公设辩护人儿童援助部门正在招聘实习生. 我在他们那里实习直到马里兰州澳博app协会的宣誓就职仪式.

After that, I was thinking about going out on my own, 所以我约了一些当地的澳博app来寻求建议. I wanted to pick their brains. 我遇到的第一个人是一位澳博app，他正在寻找一名助理. 几周后，我开始为她工作，我觉得非常合适.

Before I returned to work, 我想，经过这么长时间的休息后，重新进入法律领域可能会很有挑战性. 其他澳博app对我的热情让我感到惊喜. 似乎没有人质疑我留在家里陪孩子的决定.

What are you doing now?

I am working at the Hamlin Law Group. 我花了很多时间为贫困的父母辩护他们的孩子要么处于危险之中要么已经被马里兰州儿童保护机构带走了. 我觉得这份工作很有价值，因为我相信家庭是如此重要. 我相信父母有管理家庭的基本权利, 我认为这是一项重要的工作，有助于维持孩子和父母之间的联系.

毫无疑问，这是法律的一个困难和情绪化的领域. Parents are often at a disadvantage, coming into a system where much is asked of them, and they have little, if any, control. 这些父母需要澳博app来帮助他们在法庭系统中导航，并顽强地代表他们. 这些父母中有很多人除了贫穷之外还有很多事情要处理. Many also have been victims of violence in the past, and many have mental health or substance abuse issues. 我的工作是在法律体系中积极而明智地指导他们.