Washington Lawyer - November/December 2022 - 32

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for themselves but often need an attorney's presence to be taken seriously.
While she's still new in her position, she's confident she wants to
stay on this path.
" I'm excited about the health and law connection, " says Prothero, a
Harvard Law School graduate who grew up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
" One thing I'm interested in is getting into the environmental climate-
health impact. That's such a huge threat to everyone right now, especially
with Black and brown and low-income populations all around the
country. How can we creatively expand the work the organizations are
already doing to address environmental harm? "
REDEFINING VICTORIES
Where there is injustice, inequality, and discrimination, there will always be
a need for public interest lawyers who bring their empathy, patience, and
human connection to their work. Attorneys like Harris and others have just
started and still have so much more to give in their respective fields.
" I will keep working with the community that I'm working with now -
overlooked populations and those disproportionately affected by several
aspects of our government, " Harris says. Her mentors, former public defenders,
have given her a glimpse of where her career could go. " It's an
open book of where I can end. I'm at my happiest right now. "
Prothero sees public interest law as a way for attorneys to use their knowledge
to push for a more equitable distribution of power and resources.
" Especially when partnered with community members and organizers,
public interest [lawyers] can play a crucial role in limiting harm now while
building toward better alternatives in the future, " she says.
Public interest law can be emotionally taxing, but the lows outweigh the
highs, says Andino. " We always talk about the burnout that public
interest advocates face doing this work, and it's true. It's an uphill battle
every day, and it's steeper in some settings, " he says. " At the end of the
day, you have to redefine your definition of winning. Sometimes allowing
someone to be heard, or giving someone their day in court, allowing
someone's story to be told, is a win. "
Freelance writer Stacy Julien is a frequent contributor to Washington Lawyer.
With more than 113,000 members in all 50 states and more than 80
countries and territories, the D.C. Bar takes pride in the diversity of its
membership. Explore our members' stories and journeys, as well as
the Bar's rich history and continuing commitment to access to justice,
at 50years.dcbar.org.
Photos courtesy of Quiana Harris, Carlos Andino, Kelly Hii, Shavannie Braham, and Molly Prothero.
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Washington Lawyer - November/December 2022

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