Jazzy and the Law by Danielle

Jazzy and the Law by Danielle - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

In the third grade I learned just how powerful lawyers can be. They were big, scary and took my cat away from me; and at the age of 6 years old, my cat, Jazzy, caused a $2 million lawsuit.

Jazzy was a gift to me from my parents and I loved him with all the fervor of a precocious new “parent.” He was mischievous, full of energy, and brought me so much joy. As an indoor/outdoor cat, Jazzy was given the opportunity to come and go as he pleased, but he never strayed too far. He enjoyed patrolling the fence along my property. My house is situated in a quintessential suburban neighborhood, surrounded by neighbors on each side. Our neighbor to the right was a seemingly normal woman who decided to wage war on my family, and in particular, on our cat.

The first time Jazzy went missing, we didn’t even realize he was gone. I remember the day very clearly; I sat on the floor playing with my baby sister when the phone rang. When my mom answered, I saw the confusion grow on her face as the person on the other end explained that Jazzy had been dropped off at the local animal shelter to be put down. When she hung up the phone we rushed to the aid of our beloved pet. Our next-door neighbor had trapped Jazzy with a can of tuna fish in a cage on her back lawn and delivered him to the local shelter.

Cats are highly intelligent but can be easily manipulated by food. My poor cat expected a treat, not a trap. Although the only reason Jazzy initially made his way onto our neighbor’s property was for the tuna, he now decided to make a habit of trying. Oblivious to the danger he faced, Jazzy thought it was a game to find the treat. Eventually, he won the game and wound up back at the pound – heading once again towards euthanasia. This time, however, that wasn’t the only action she took.

The doorbell rang and, as always, my mom beat me to it. My mom stood there shaking her head as she stared at the papers handed to her; she had been served. No one believed that this lawsuit would go far but it lasted almost a year. Multiple lawyers were involved. I remember watching the people in fancy suits using big words that fascinated and terrified me. I didn’t understand what the lawyers were saying. To me, it was so obvious. Jazzy was a good cat; he would never hurt a fly. But, if you put tuna on your lawn, he will (like any other cat) try and find it.

My first exposure to the law ended with my cat being taken away from me. The lawyers came to an agreement, a “Stipulation of Settlement” stating my family will never own another cat while we live in that house and she lives in hers. I cried myself to sleep trying to understand how the lawyers could allow my neighbor to take my pet away from me.

Fifteen years later, I now work for a large law firm filled with people in fancy suits, using big words. The words still fascinate me, but they no longer terrify. Indeed, I am empowered by them. As a Legal Assistant at White & Case LLP, I am accustomed to the long hours that lawyers have to endure. I’m used to the professional environment and I see how they handle the ethical dilemmas that they often face. I look up to my colleagues and I know that I want to be able to contribute to society the way that they are able to. I often find myself remembering how I felt towards lawyers at the time. I think back to that day the doorbell rang, where I stood as a wide-eyed 8-year-old girl. Since then, I have dreamed and set a goal of being able to have a voice to fight back. I’m not that little girl scared of losing her cat anymore, I still have that same dream, and I am on my way to achieving it.