"Always asking the question, is what I am doing or am about to do, furthering justice?" -William A-H

I’ve probably re-written this message a half a dozen times if not more. What’s shocking about that is that for those who know me I am seldom at a loss for words. But I find myself at a loss for words this morning because I am trying my best to honor the tremendous advocate and force of a human being that is Vanessa Merton. Well, here it goes. I had the immense privilege of studying under Professor Vanessa Merton as a Student Attorney for the Immigration Justice Clinic at Pace University. However, the first time we met was two years prior, when I was an incoming first year student. I had met Professor Merton through a mutual connection with the Latin American Law Students Association. At the time I was so unsure that I had made the right choice to come home and pull the trigger on trying to become an attorney. Cue my introduction to Professor Merton. At the time she was working on what I imagine were at least a few dozen projects at the clinic, because again, force of a human. But in the chaos of that, she still sat down with me. We talked about a lot, but chief among them was why I needed to do this. Why all the nonsense I had told myself about not being able to measure up against my colleagues or failing out because I wasn’t good enough was garbage. By the end of that talk I was even a little mad at myself for ever having let those thoughts into my mind. That is who I knew her as. A compassionate, fiercely loyal, outspoken, brilliant mentor. One who I will so very deeply miss.

Vanessa taught us to challenge injustice however we could, for as long as we could, because someone had to. While I was working for the clinic she instilled values of excellence, conducting ourselves with a professionalism beyond reproach, while always seeking to do our very best by our clients no matter the outcome. Ironically, despite the profound impact that the clinic had on my practice moving forward, I didn’t end up going into Immigration Law upon graduation. Instead, I took a job working in New York City pursuing a dream I had held for years. When I told Professor Merton of what I would be doing when I graduated… she was ecstatic. While yes, had I gone into the immensely important work she had been training us to do, I imagine she would’ve been happy, I also knew she wanted us to do our work with the same passion she had. My passions lied elsewhere. But no matter the area of practice, she wanted us to take the lessons we learned and apply them to both how we saw the world and how we interacted with it. Now I work to do that every day, always asking the question, is what I am doing or am about to do, furthering justice? Vanessa taught me that.

This is truly one of the hardest things I have had to write in a very long time, which is saying something because I work with my words for a living. So first I’ll say, thank you so very much… for everything. Your legacy is so vastly profound, and I know that everyone who had the honor of knowing you is better off for having had the opportunity. Having said all that, I’ll end on goodbye Professor, you’re so dearly missed.

William A-H