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| Emmanuel Olawale |
In 1997,
Emmanuel Olawale left the shores of Nigeria, West Africa for the United States
of America.After graduating with Honors from the City University of New York,
College of Staten Island with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in
Communication, Media studies and Journalism, Olawale headed for Capital
University Law School, Columbus, Ohio in 2002 where received his Juris
Doctorate degree.
Emmanuel
Olawale, lawyer, writer, husband and father is a recipient of several
professional, leadership and academic awards such as Super Lawyers’ Rising Star
(2013, 2014); Who’s Who in Black Columbus (2013), Excellence in Appellate
Advocacy Award (2004), Dean’s scholarship (2002-2005),and David White
Scholarship. Emmanuel was also inducted into The Order of the Curia, a Law
School honorary society. He was a candidate for judge of the Court of Common
Pleas, Delaware County in the 2014 elections.
The trial lawyer, who has successfully
litigated several personal injury and other civil cases before juries and
judges spoke with The Immigrant on his motivation to study law,
challenges and rights of residents in the United States.
Law
I have always wanted to be a lawyer since I was a
child because of some of the experiences I had while growing up which has to do
with injustice. I knew from then that I wanted to do something that has to do
with fighting for other people.
When I came
to the United States of America, I enrolled in college about a year and a half
later. To become a lawyer in the United States you need a Bachelor’s degree in
any program. For my Bachelor’s degree, I really was not sure of what I wanted
to study. I was also good in writing and I did a bit of journalism in Nigeria
so I declared a major in communication and journalism. After that, one of my
Professors wanted me to do an internship at the New York Times. Then I started
thinking if that is all I wanted to do. But I told myself I still wanted to
become a lawyer. I applied for Law School, I got accepted and three years after
college, I became an Attorney.
I applied
in my final year at the City University of New York to Law school at the
Capital University, Columbus, Ohio in the Spring of 2002 and everything was
finalized in Summer of 2002.
Challenge
The first challenge was to acclimatize myself with
Columbus, Ohio. I didn’t know anyone when I got here. I have never been to Ohio
before. I needed a job, quickly so as to be able to pay my rent and take care
of my basic needs.
When you have
a problem don’t do it on your own. Consult an expert who can lead you.
Sometimes the consultation fee you will pay will save you thousands of dollars
over time. The best thing is to consult an expert immediately there is a
problem you know you can’t solve yourself. It could be an accident,
mistreatment at work, starting a business, or going through marital issues and
you need to know what your rights are.
Lawyer
Luckily, I was clerking for a Law firm which offered
me an attorney position. The day I got sworn in, the next day they had me
arguing before the Court of Appeal. Within five months they had me doing my
first jury trial. They really threw me into the fire of litigation. I was
filled with trepidation initially but then I got used to it that it was a
baptism of fire. The time most of my colleagues were still making coffee for
their Senior Associates, I was already doing what the Senior Associates did. So
I grew fast in the legal profession.
Practice
After about four years of practicing with the legal
firm, I could feel my experience was much more than my years in practice and my
confidence was so good. All that they did at that firm was just personal injury
and workers’ compensation. But naturally, I loved to be involved in a lot of
activities. I am not a kind of person that focuses just on one thing because I
am very versatile. I wanted to do more. I wanted to bring other areas of
practice to the firm so I decided to go on my own and started my own practice.
When I left the firm, I didn’t take a single client
from them. But when I was at the firm people in the community have known about
me and what I do. Even before I started my practice, I did what you might call
self-marketing. When I meet with anybody, I tell them what I can do. So when I
went out on my own, I doubled on that by going to stores, churches and meeting
people.
Judge
All options are on the table. It depends on the right
opportunity and the right time. I am still ready and willing to serve the
community and the people that reside in it.
Citizens
As a citizen of this country, you have to embrace the
place you live in. That is the place you are sleeping and waking up every day,
you have to embrace it as your home. You have to get involved in the
government, have to vote, and have to participate. Participation is what will
guarantee that your views, ideas and your needs are met. If you don’t
participate or you are not at the table when a discussion about what will
affect you is being made no one will consider how you feel or what your needs
are. My advice is to participate.
Needs
It depends when they have a problem. When you have a
problem don’t do it on your own. Consult an expert who can lead you. Sometimes
the consultation fee you will pay will save you thousands of dollars over time.
The best thing is to consult an expert immediately there is a problem you know
you can’t solve yourself. It could be an accident, mistreatment at work,
starting a business, or going through marital issues and you need to know what
your rights are. It is best to consult an attorney to help. Residents must be
aware of their right. Just that someone is here legally or illegally, doesn’t
mean they are not protected by certain laws. The Fourteenth Amendment gives everyone
equal protection under the law and it guarantees due process regardless whether
you are an alien or a native born citizen.
Culled from The Immigrant, USA
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