Mary Allen Ramprasad

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...” The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants all Americans the right to speak freely without repercussion, or so I thought. On May 21, 2009, one week before graduation, the Santa Rosa County school board in Northwest Florida banned me from speaking at my high school commencement ceremony, as was customary for the Student Body President. I will always recognize this as the day that I fell in love with the law. Due to fear that the content of my speech would violate a consent decree that the school board had recently entered in to, I was censored. Shortly after starting college, I obtained legal counsel and became the lead Plaintiff in a lawsuit against the school district. After two long and arduous years in litigation, the school district settled and revised their restrictive policies. It was then that I realized how much influence attorneys could really have, and my interest in a legal career began. I may not have been able to give my speech on graduation night, but my voice was not silenced. Instead, I have made it a priority in my life to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Through the practice of law, I hope to create positive change for others, as my attorney did for me. To me, there is no greater reward than knowing I have made a difference in the lives of my clients. I know first-hand the overwhelming stress that comes with being a Plaintiff in a lawsuit and vow to make sure every client feels understood and supported through the entire litigation process.