San Diego’s Judge Roderick Shelton held an open discussion with City College students about the criminal justice system, law school and the importance of diversity in law.
Organized by Hermanos Unidos Brothers United (HUBU), the event was held in room A-335 on Wednesday, March 19 and brought in successful people of color to share their stories of hard work and perseverance to encourage students of color to pursue their educational goals.
Students listened to Shelton explain his journey through law school and how he climbed the ladder from Deputy Public Defender to state Superior Judge.
“I think what drove me to be a lawyer is just helping people,” Shelton said in an interview with City Times after the discussion. “I think, if you’re on the defense side, you’re helping your client. If you’re on the prosecution side, you’re helping a victim of a crime. And I think as a judge … you hope that you’re helping other people’s lives.”
Shelton was excited to speak to the students about the criminal justice system and emphasized the need for more diversity.
He also explained how to experience the justice system firsthand.
“Go to court. Don’t watch just movies and TV shows because that’s not what really happens,” Shelton said. “They’re public hearings. You can go and sit down and watch a civil case, a family law case, a criminal case, a probate case, and you get an idea of what the law is really about.”
Electrical engineering student and HUBU member Lemmi Abdulkerim and other HUBU members organized the event.
Abdulkerim explained how the idea for these discussions came together.
“So we’re trying to change that mentality that we have, which is, ‘I’m a man of color, so I can’t succeed,’” said Abdulkerim. “So we were just like ‘we need to bring someone that is successful to show that it’s possible for the students wherever they want to get.’”
HUBU is hosting a similar discussion with mental health counselor Michael Brown on Wednesday, April 19 at 1 p.m. in A-335.
Edited Luke Bradbury, Jordan Bell.
