Public service commitment drew grad to Brandeis

When Keesha Stacy was deciding which law school to attend, something about Brandeis Law made it stand out.

"I really enjoyed the commitment to public service," she said. "It's something I care about and something the school cares about.

"That made me choose Louisville."

The Brandeis Law Class of 2016 completed 9,867.25 total public service hours, averaging out to more than 57 hours per student.

Brandeis Law was one of the first law schools in the country to make community service a requirement of graduation, with students being mandated to complete at least 30 hours of law-related public service as part of the Samuel L. Greenebaum Public Service Program.

Stacy, a Mt. Sterling, Ky., native, graduated in May.

She spent her law school career serving various organizations, such as Catholic Charities of Louisville's Migration and Refugee Services, Wayside Christian Mission and the Robert and Sue Allen Ackerson Law Clinic.

In those positions, she filled a variety of roles, from making sure refugees know their legal rights to helping members of Louisville's homeless population navigate divorce or eviction proceedings.

After graduation, she'll take the bar exam in July and then head to Asbury Theological Seminary, where she'll continue learning about ways to serve her community.

"Ultimately, I hope to work with orphaned kids," she said, adding that she might like to open an orphanage someday.

"I think compassion is really important. If we're not compassionate to one another, then what are we?" Stacy said, adding that it's especially important for people in positions of influence to be involved in community service.