Page 13 - NC Triangle Vol 7 No 2

SONS TIMOTHY AND MATTHEW BEASLEY OWENS, HUSBAND CURTIS OWENS AND CHERI BEASLEY AT HER MARCH 7 INVESTITURE.
AALM: So instead of Julliard, you chose the Douglass College of Rutgers University.
Beasley: I really wanted to go to school in or near New York City. Douglass College, at the time, was the largest women’s college in the country. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to study with women, many of whom were in leadership — a lot of great internships. I had an opportunity to go as part of an intern- ship with the State Department to see Justice Sandra Day O’Connor then go to San Diego for a women legislator’s conference. Some of the classes were just women, and it was really nice just to have women supporting and en- couraging each other.
AALM: You took a year o a er graduating from Douglass and worked for the Tennes- see Human Relations Commission where you investigated cases of discrimination based on race, gender, disability and religious a liation in places of public accommodation housing and employment.
Beasley: It was probably there that I re- ally thought about law school. I had amazing people with whom I worked. I saw them work staunchly on behalf of people who were really in need. at made a really big impact on me.
AALM: A few years a er graduating from e University of Tennessee College of Law you joined the public defender’s o ce in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
Beasley: at experience gave me a much greater appreciation not just for the practice of law, but for the belief in humanity and for understanding that all of us come from very di erent backgrounds and have a plethora of
life experienc-
es, but, generally
speaking, we all
have the same hopes
and dreams and desires
for ourselves and for our fam-
ilies and our communities. It was re-
ally a good foundational experience in being a good lawyer and then going forward with my service as a judge.
AALM: As a public defender and later as a judge you saw an endless line of people come through the system with similar issues. Did you ever feel like it was an endless, uphill battle?
Beasley: It wasn’t just the people charged with the crime. It was their families, their moms, their children, the people who relied on them or whatever the community support system was, and they were clearly challenged. And o en the same folks who were charged with crimes had also been victims of crimes. eir experiences o er me an appreciation for all of us. at a lot of people are really strug- gling in their lives and ought not be discount- ed.
I never got numb. I was fully aware that every single day, somebody and somebodies were depending on me to get it right. Getting it right didn’t necessarily mean getting them o , but it meant doing my very best for them.
AALM: Is being chief justice going to be a fun job?
Beasley: It will be. It will be a fun job.
HEADSHOTS AND CORPORATE
...often the same folks who were charged with crimes had also been victims of crimes. eir experiences
o er me an appreciation for all of us. at a lot of people are really struggling in their lives and ought not be discounted.”
AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com
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