Amber Simpson, TMSL '20
TMSL Graduating Class: |
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Home: |
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Dallas, Texas |
Undergraduate Institution: |
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University of Oklahoma |
Undergraduate Major: |
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English |
Jobs/Internships/Externships obtained while at TMSL Internships
- Law Clerk, Clarke & Associates
- Legal Intern, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County
Post-Graduate Position
- Associate Attorney, Clarke & Associates
Awards, scholarships, organizations, or extracurricular activities while attending TMSL
- Board of Advocates, Chief Justice 2019 – 2020; Of Counsel, 2018 – 2019
- Mindfulness in Law Society, Secretary 2019 – 2020; Founding Member
- BLSA Mock Trial Team
Community service or pro bono activities involved with while attending TMSL
- Special Olympics of South Texas
- TMSL Wills, Probate, and Guardianship Clinic
- TMSL Help the Homeless Project with Board of Advocates
- Health, Education, Science Fair and Carnival at Sunnyside Park
- Floyd Simpson Cruisin’ for Kids with Sickle Cell Motorcycle Ride
I share my story to show that the only limitations you will ever have are the ones you put on yourself.
I am currently a third-year law student at Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL), Chief Justice of the James M. Douglas Board of Advocates (BOA), and a person living with Sickle Cell Anemia.
I was diagnosed with sickle cell as an infant and have suffered through frequent emergency room visits, numerous hospital stays, debilitating pain, and many other physical limitations caused by the disease. The intermittent bouts of pain, often caused by stress, can render a person with sickle cell immobile for extended periods of time. Persons with the disease are often limited in the way that they function in everyday society, but my parents refused to allow me to be defined by any limitations. I worked harder to achieve my goals and never let sickle cell be an excuse for mediocrity. The pivotal point in my educational career came when I decided to forego deferment to the University of Oklahoma and began my freshman year just one week after receiving a life-saving blood transfusion; I have never looked back.
I have always known that I wanted to attend law school, but I was unsure of the toll it would take on my health and body. I waited to apply to law school because I doubted my own ability. After my father passed away, I decided to take a chance and enroll in law school. I chose to attend TMSL because of the opportunities the school provides to its diverse student body and the family-like atmosphere. I knew that enrolling in a school dedicated to maintaining diversity would allow me, a person with a disability, to achieve academic success. During my time at TMSL, I have become passionate about teaching advocacy skills through the Competitive Mock Trial Program and the BOA. My involvement with Mock Trial and BOA led me to my position as a law clerk with Clarke & Associates, where I have accepted a post-graduate position as an associate attorney.
Trust. Believe. Apply yourself. Push beyond any limitations to maximize success.
