Rising Stars: Meet Michael Stallworth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Stallworth. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Michael Stallworth received degrees in Sociology and Black Studies from UC Santa Barbara in three years and graduated summa cum laude. While at UCSB, Michael co-founded a pre-law organization for Black students called Obsidian Pre-Law Association, completed the UCLA Law Fellows Program in 2019, worked as a resident assistant, tour guide, and orientation advisor, was a member of the UCSB Cheerleading Team, completed the College of Letters and Science Honors Program, and wrote an honors thesis for the Black Studies Department. Stallworth also won the “Michael D. Young Engaged Scholar Award” for his principled leadership and scholarly knowledge through his time at UCSB.

Upon graduating from UCSB, Michael worked as an Application Reader for UC Santa Barbara, a law clerk at Boucher LLP, where he assisted on sexual abuse cases against California Catholic Clergy members and employment law matters, and completed the SEO Law Fellowship, where he interned at Hogan Lovells US LLP. Currently, Michael is a 1L at UCLA School of Law. During his time at UCLA, Michael has served as 1L President, 1L Rep for BLSA, on the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee for the Technology Student Advisory Group, is a Glazer Scholar through the Critical Race Students Program, is a student volunteer for the Labor and Economic Justice Clinic and Workers’ Rights Clinic, is Outreach Editor for the National Black Law Journal, is on the UCLA Trial Team, and is a tour guide. Michael’s goal is to become a legal academic and attorney, where he will focus on the areas of litigation, civil rights, education policy, and policing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In a study completed by Brandeis University, Stockton, California was ranked the 4th worst place to raise children in the country. I grew up in this city, where violence and crime are undoubtedly prevalent and young Black men are dying on a daily basis due to gang violence. It is ranked as one of America’s most dangerous and uneducated cities, where most teenagers fall victim to the troubles of the city. During my teenage years, my childhood friends were incarcerated for robbery and I vividly remember their court processes. Having to visit them weekly in juvenile halls and communicate with them solely through the phone traumatized me. I knew that I needed to avoid trouble and make smart decisions or I would end up following the wrong path. Ultimately, I felt unsafe in a city that I called home- the environment that shaped me into the person I am today.

Many of my family members had similar struggles growing up in Stockton. Growing up, I learned that my uncle, Michael, who was dealing with mental health struggles at the time, was gunned down by the Stockton Police Department. Since he did not receive the necessary medical treatment in jail, Michael had a mental breakdown, leading him to escape from jail, kill his wife, and hijack two cars. His mental illness impaired his judgment and cost him his life. This led my grandfather to file a civil suit against the city of Stockton for wrongful death based on lack of medical attention, which was later thrown out by the court. This experience introduced me to the injustices of our criminal justice system and stripped away my innocence at a young age. I was prematurely exposed to the harsh realities of how my identity would shape my future experiences in society.

Learning about my uncle’s murder contributed to my vast interest in the criminal justice system and how I can be an advocate for equal treatment among all communities. My uncle’s murder reflected the law’s duty to help the mentally ill and implement policies to provide adequate resources because incarceration does not fix society’s underlying problems. Although the environment in Stockton seemed limiting, I have always had a desire to learn more. This motivated me to seek an opportunity to work for a firm that would fight on behalf of people who have been wronged. During my gap years, I had the privilege of working as a law clerk at Boucher LLP, a law firm in Woodland Hills, CA, where I gained experience advocating on behalf of people injured by corporations and individuals who abuse power.

Choosing to work at Boucher LLP was a personal decision. As a young child, I was sexually abused on by four different people: my uncle at my family’s charter school, my two step-sisters, and by my seventh-grade Honors English teacher. After the first incident, when I confided in my mother, she immediately withdrew me from the school and enrolled me in the nearest public school. In seventh grade, after the abuse, my principal quickly swept it under the rug by making my teacher apologize to me. However, these instances of abuse have left scars on my life. They have caused me to experience low self-esteem, mental health struggles, trust issues, and problems in intimate relationships. These experiences led me to work directly with survivors of sexual abuse and assault as a law clerk at Boucher LLP. I was able to personally relate to similar experiences as our clients and connect with them on a deeper level. As a survivor, the work I accomplished makes me feel empowered in finally gaining my power back by being able to help prosecute individuals that have wronged someone.

The most rewarding experiences of my job came from seeing the relief on our clients’ faces once I was able to provide them with key details that moved their cases forward. For one client in particular, the sexual abuse and neglect he experienced resulted in a life of misfortune. Our client was in prison and had trouble identifying multiple priests that sexually assaulted him at a young age. With just a few identification details and the location of the church, I was able to successfully identify the name of the priests and find pictures and videos to help our client confirm their identity. My research marked a milestone in two different things: my professional career and in our client’s life. It taught me that being in the legal profession is exactly where I belong because I have the opportunity to change lives and advocate on behalf of people that cannot advocate for themselves; it taught me that I am an agent for change.

These experiences, coupled with my social justice education, have solidified my interest in the law. I am certain that I have a calling on my life to be a social justice warrior. Being passionate about helping others led me to apply to various organizations, pursue a social justice education in college, and give back to build up underrepresented communities through service and advocacy. Receiving a legal education will allow me to transform racial justice advocacy by finding solutions to complex challenges and providing me with the resources necessary for the success of my civil rights career.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, Michael is a 1L at UCLA School of Law. During his time at UCLA, Michael has served as 1L President, 1L Rep for BLSA, on the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee for the Technology Student Advisory Group, is a Glazer Scholar through the Critical Race Students Program, is a student volunteer for the Labor and Economic Justice Clinic and Workers’ Rights Clinic, is Outreach Editor for the National Black Law Journal, is on the UCLA Trial Team, and is a tour guide. Next year, Michael will be serving as the Student Bar Association Diversity Officer, Co-Chair for BLSA, and Langston Bar Association’s Law Student Liaison and Chair of the Law Student Outreach Committee. Michael currently has a YouTube channel called “Michael Stallworth” and a podcast titled “It’s Stallworth It”, where he discusses his personal life experiences and law school journey.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Never give up on yourself or on your goals, and know that it takes time to achieve them. You have to put in the time and work to get to where you want to be in life, but do not let the journey discourage you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/michaelstallworth?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgstallworth
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/26YEqBgIVX6LdP1Nqrfmr9?si=c11645bb6ba54176