How many times are YOU willing to get back up?I hope that you read this story all the way through because it’s truly a remarkable one.
Last week I attended a seminar given by a Pittsburgh attorney on legal ethics and drug addiction.
The speakers name was Corey.
He is an attorney in Pittsburgh and works downtown. He told of his amazing journey.
He went to Central Catholic and during his sophomore and junior year start drinking and doing small drugs.
He graduated from Central Catholic.
Then he went to Duquesne University.
In his sophomore year he was arrested on the steps of the Duquesne Law School with 9 grams of cocaine in his backpack. He was arrested prosecuted and convicted of the crime.
Corey was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison.
Not jail, prison as in Western Penn.
A 22 year-old kid in prison.
Corey served a minimum of three years in prison.
Then he was paroled.
Now unlike an arrest, if you’re convicted of a crime that conviction goes with you the rest of your natural life.
Corey was just rambling around from job to job at this point after he got out of prison.
Then one night he got a call from one of his high school teachers who wanted to meet with him. The teacher/brother asked him what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.
It got Corey thinking about what direction he was gonna go in.
He decided to apply to Duquesne law school. They rejected him but said he should apply to Pitt law school.
Pitt law school also rejected him.
So Corey start going up and meeting with the Dean of Duquesne law school again and again.
Maybe the Dean was tired of seeing him so often or maybe he saw Corey’s drive.
For whatever reason he then approved Corey for Duquesne law school.
Corey went to the night school at Duquesne and graduated in the top 5% of his class. He was always very bright.
Passing the bar exam was not a big issue and he was able to do that.
But there was one final roadblock to becoming a lawyer in Pennsylvania. Namely his conviction for the 9 ounces of cocaine.
The only way that can be wiped clean is by the Governor of Pennsylvania granting him a pardon.
At the time Pennsylvania had the most conservative governor in a while. Governor Tom Corbett.
He had only granted a couple pardons the whole time he was the Governor.
Instead of using an attorney to write his pardon papers Corey decided to try it all his own.
He wrote the pardon petition and was invited to Harrisburg to sell his side of it.
At this point he did not even have a suit and was dead broke.
Somehow he got some money together and bought a suit went to Harrisburg.
Corey must’ve made a very favorable impression on the parole board.
Because they granted his application for parole.
And the governor signed the papers to make it official.
So Corey reapplied to become a lawyer in Pennsylvania.
This time it was granted to him.
Incredibly he is now a full-fledged licensed Pennsylvania lawyer practicing in downtown Pittsburgh.
Even though he was in the top 5% of his class none of the major corporations or big law groups wanted anything to do with him because of his record.
Corey said that was just as well for him because now he practices on his own helping other people who are addicted to drugs and have given up on life.
How many of us would’ve been willing to keep getting up off the ground when they were knocked down that many times?
How many people would’ve aspired to becoming a lawyer after coming out of prison?
How many people would’ve refused to take no for an answer and kept applying to law school after law school?
How many friends and relatives do you think told him to just let it go and give up?
Corey’s story is truly a remarkable one and is an inspiration for you and I.
Never give up on your dream whatever it is.
Thanks for reading.
Bernie the attorney.