Support Kad's Journey to Pass the CA Bar

Family, Friends, Colleagues, and Community,

I just concluded three of the most intense years of my life. Paradoxically it was the longest and quickest years of my life. More than anything, I am proud of getting here, because I told my Grandmother (Bigmama) Dorothy Marie Smith that one day I would go to law school. Not only did I attend law school, I graduated. Kad Smith, J.D. is now a reality.

In honoring how my grandmother raised me to navigate the world and to use my education: I'm committed to becoming a lawyer who works with the people and for the people. I will either be a movement lawyer or I won't practice law at all. That's my promise to my community of support.

There are several achievements and honors I received during law school that I cherish, they include but are not limited to:

• 3L recipient of California Change Lawyers Scholarship

• USF Law Magazine’s “One to Watch” faculty selected award – Fall 2024 (https://www.usfca.edu/news/kad-smith)

• San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association Mock Trial Competition Fall 2024 – 1st place team-member

• Teacher’s Assistant for Criminal Law (Hon. Lewis A. Davis [Ret]) Spring 2024

• Teacher’s Assistant for Civil Procedure I (Hon. Lynn Duryee [Ret] and Professor Matt White) Fall 2023

• 2023 Intensive Advocacy Program – Edward J. McFetridge award for Creativity

• CALI Excellence for the Future Award® (highest grade) - Criminal Law (Spring 2023)

• 2023-2024 recipient of Agnes O’Brien Smith scholarship

• 2023-2024 recipient of Paul W. Vapnek ’64 ethics scholarship

• 2023-2025 student body elected America Bar Association Student Representative

• 1L recipient of California Change Lawyers scholarship

• Finished 1L with a GPA in the top 20th percentile of class

After I take the Bar Exam, I plan to focus on civil rights litigation. I also want to figure out how to participate in impact litigation toward Reparations for Descendants of Chattel Slavery, and eventually to spend much more time up in Sacramento lobbying for those same descendants to get the reparative legislative efforts they deserve. I am still in search of the right firm or organizational anchor to invest in this area of work.

I am reaching out for support from my community. I've worked almost 20+ hours a week since I was 16 years old. I don't come from means and I am my own safety net. Law school depleted my savings and now, I'm looking at the next ten weeks worried about my ability to *not* work while trying to focus solely on studying for the California Bar Exam in July 2025.

Between providing for Hiro, tending to an onslaught of relentless bills, and needing to take care of myself so I can survive this marathon, I'm asking for whatever support I can get. Anything from my close and extended community will help. And I can assure you, it will not be taken for granted.

I appreciate you all. If you're reading this: you're probably someone who is invested in my success. I don't take that for granted. And you likely know that I always go hard for my loved ones and broader community. The California State Bar is just one additional hurdle to get through, so I can truly do meaningful work.

Appreciate y'all,

Kad aka Smitty