Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 2017 graduate Brittany Lowe is an academic superstar. The first in her family to graduate college, Lowe takes great pride in her academic achievements and graduates from C|M|LAW as class valedictorian.
But Lowe’s academic prowess is not the overarching reason she was honored as a recipient of the Dean’s Learn Law. Live Justice. Award. The honor is given each year to the graduate or graduates who best exemplify what it means to live justice ─ a commitment to making clients’ lives better and communities stronger.
Lowe knew early in her high school career that she wanted to attend law school. At that early age, the Youngstown, Ohio native was already contemplating how she could best live justice.
“I was drawn to the idea that with a law degree you can make things better in the community and change things for people who don’t have a voice,” Lowe said.
While attending the University of Akron as an undergraduate, Lowe interned every summer with a small law practice in Youngstown. There she witnessed how an attorney can make a difference at the individual level. She enrolled in law school prepared to help others.
Throughout law school, Lowe volunteered with C|M|LAW’s Pro Bono Program at The Legal Aid Society’s bi-weekly Child Support Clinic, where she assisted low-income community members in obtaining, modifying or terminating support orders.
“I felt like a real lawyer going to those clinics,” said Lowe. “The experience was rewarding for me and provided a great learning opportunity. It really stands out to me how appreciative people are when you do pro bono work for them.”
Lowe has participated in the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association 3Rs Program and separately visited Collinwood High School to discuss academics, law school and the trial process with young students. She also spent time volunteering at the Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Shelter and at The Centers for Families and Children.
“I value helping young people,” Lowe explained. “They are our future and it is important to instill in them the value of learning and obtaining academic success, so they can change things in their life that are not fair or just.”
In addition to her work in the community, Lowe was active at C|M|LAW assisting first-year law students as a legal writing & research teaching assistant, criminal law tutor, and volunteer for numerous admission and recruiting events.
Lowe believes everyone in her graduating class is deserving of recognition for living justice in some way. She used part of her commencement speech to remind her classmates of why many of them began their law school journeys.
“Cleveland-Marshall is where we all started our careers and we all came here for a reason,” said Lowe. “No matter what we do or where we go, we shouldn’t forget where we come from and why we came, and a lot of that has to do with the ‘live justice’ part of our slogan.”
In addition to her extensive involvement in the community during law school, Lowe worked at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Dan A. Polster in the United States District Court, and worked as a summer associate at Jones Day.
Following passage of the bar exam, Lowe will join the Cleveland office of Jones Day as a full-time associate in business law and/or securities litigation. She is excited about Jones Day’s longstanding commitment to pro bono work and plans to continue volunteering through the law firm and with outside organizations.