Elizabeth Muwanga

Elizabeth Muwanga
Class of 2022
Lexington, Kentucky

What do you love most about your family and/or friends?
Our unity and willingness to be there for each other. 

What undergraduate and graduate degrees do you have? 
B.A. in Child and Family Studies from Berea College and an M.S.S.W. from Louisville.

Why law school and why Brandeis?
Growing up I was told I should be a lawyer. That's just a polite way of telling a child they're annoying! It took me a while to decide to get a J.D., but I chose Brandeis because of the dual MSSW/JD program.

How have you changed since your 1L year?
Most definitely. I am sure that law school changes the actual structure of the brain. I see things completely differently than lay people. We are trained to spot potential problems and prevent them. We are constantly analyzing. It can be tiring and is a big responsibility. Lawyers have so much power and are leaders in whatever situation they are in and I have to carry that. I don't get to act like others or do the same things as others because of that responsibility.

In addition to getting into the UofL Brandeis School of Law, what are you most proud of and why?
I'm a single parent of five children. I work 80 hours a week while commuting 2 hours a day. This year has required me to extend myself well past my "limits" and actually shown me that I am capable of far more than I ever thought. I'm in the bottom 15% of my class. At times that is discouraging until I remember how much I've actually accomplished, and what my reputation is. I am the legal professional that I would want, and no one can take that from me.

How do you define Inclusive? How do you define Excellence?
One definition of inclusive is providing everything that is expected. I disagree with that definition. If we only provide what is expected, we won't do enough. We all have a bias and ignorance, so providing what is expected will leave blind spots where we weren't "expecting" something. Excellence is persistently doing your best at that time. Your best will be different day to day or hour by hour. But persistence is key!

What is your professional goal for five years from now?
Five years from graduation, I plan to be practicing in Alabama. There are many organizations that I'm interested in serving, but I hope to have a presence in the prison abolition movement in addition to several community projects that aim to address structural inequality.

What is your favorite quote?
“Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the (oppressed) have to carry, rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.”- Gregory Boyle

What is your favorite piece of advice, and who was it from?
My partner says, "Say what you mean and mean what you say."