University
of Pennsylvania Law School 
David Miranda (L '07)
My decision to apply and ultimately go to law school was not an easy one. As a gay, working class, Latino man from the Bronx I felt that I would be expected to alter my identity in order to succeed in the legal profession and fit in as a law student. I was even worried about whether or not I should be out on my application. Ultimately, I decided that there was no way I could not be out on my application. It was such an important part of the reason that I wanted to be a lawyer and the work I had done since leaving college.
By far the most important lesson I have learned here at Penn is how to make those experiences that I thought would prevent me from becoming an attorney into the most effective tool I will bring into the legal profession for my client’s interest.
My first exposure to this came during admitted student’s weekend when a LAMBDA member hosted me and answered any questions that I might have regarding the experience of going to law school and entering into the legal profession.
I came to Penn from a somewhat “different” experience and in many ways I was sheltered due to that experience, but not in the way one would think. I went to the Harvey Milk School, the first high school in the country for LGBT youth, and worked on gay youth issues and issues for gay men of color in both Los Angeles and New York City. I grew up in a working class neighborhood in the Bronx. My parents are immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. Growing up, I always thought that obtaining a law degree was something that was out of my reach, and if it was something that I could reach it would have to be done at the expense of my identity. However, at Penn I found an environment that both challenged me and supported me in the struggle to integrate my identity as a member of my communities into the legal profession.
This was no easy task and I had a very rough first semester. I even thought of leaving a few times. Surprisingly, people are there to lend their support when things get rough. A LAMBDA student once called me and said he heard that I was having a difficult time. He took me out to eat and let me know that in the end, things would be alright. It is that kind of support that makes Penn unique. The first year of law school is a challenging experience, and it helps to have that kind of support. The faculty and administrative staff are incredible. Dean Clinton is amazingly supportive and he does everything he can to ensure that students have all the tools they need to succeed. I think these are the experiences that make Penn unique. It is a place which will challenge you but it also ensures that you have all the necessary instruments to succeed.