LaTarro Traylor Wins Over Challenges Of Becoming A Lawyer
LaTarro Traylor, an alumna of the former Grand Rapids Creston High School, recently graduated from Cooley Law School. For her, it is a major victory and something she was destined to become.
"People used to always tell me that I should be a lawyer," said LaTarro. "People used to say that even when I was in elementary school, because I was disruptive. I never seriously considered attending law school until a friend, Rodney Brown, told me that a new law school had opened in Downtown Grand Rapids and he thought that I should look into getting enrolled."
Signing up was the start of a new, and challenging journey.
LaTarro says she was not ready to be who she was destined to be yet.
"I still wanted to hang out and run the streets, but at the same time, I didn't really understand what the law was," said Traylor. "Over the course of five years, I took the exam five times and it wasn't until I said yes to my destiny and to be the person that I should be."
What did she have to do? "I really had to become focused and stop going to a lot of places that I used to visit and dedicate myself to law."
Passing the bar exam was a goal - achieving landmark in LaTarro's life.
"I am still shocked that I passed the bar exam," she said.
"I still wake up and look at my bar card in my wallet. Next to having my six - year - old son, Colin, passing the bar exam is one of the most monumental times in my life."
She is not sure yet about when and where she will begin to practice. Deciding is challenging also.
"I would love to stay in Grand Rapids and practice law, but it is very difficult in this city for people of color," said Traylor. "I have found that it has been difficult for me to develop myself professionally; so as of right now, I am unsure of my future in a law career."
She added, "Literally, everything that I have been able to accomplish, I have had to fight tooth and nail to achieve it."
LaTarro contributes a lot of her success to mentor John Beason, a long - standing lawyer in Grand Rapids.
"If it weren't for John Beason as my mentor, I don't think that I would have made it. He really made himself available to me." she said. "John let me work with him to gain experience in the law field while I was trying to pass the bar exam. He gave me a chance to be emerged in the field and learn without forgetting things over time."
She continued, "He let me use his office to meet with people and schooled me on the do's and don'ts of law."
She went on to say, "He let me cry; he let me celebrate, and he was the first person to call when I got my results from the bar exam. He often gave me words of encouragement and he was my sponsor when I was sworn in."
Monica Sparks and her twin, Jessica Ann Tyson, were also influential in LaTarro's development.
"I found out about Jessica Ann through the Grand Rapids Times," said LaTarro. "At one time, I thought that I wanted to be an event planner. I read about her in the Times when she was putting together the very first Legacy Ball.
"I found Jessica Ann's number, called and introduced myself, and she let my friend and me work the Legacy Ball as volunteers. She paid us and got us a room at the Amway Grand, which was very exciting for me because I come from poverty."
She continued, "From there, Jessica, Monica and I developed a relationship. They inspired me by telling me that they saw a lot of potential in me. I used to look in the mirror and try to see what they saw in me but I couldn't until now."
Then came the revelation: "I truly see what I am destined to be and I want to help others as other people have inspired and helped me."
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