Journey to J.D.

Brie Milan Starks

Detroit, Michigan

University of Michigan, BA

University of Pennsylvania, MSW

North Carolina Central University, School of Law '24

For most of my high school career, ‘home’ consisted of motel rooms that I shared with my mother and three siblings. I remember contemplating whether I would go to college but one day, I sat at the counter of that motel room and wrote essays and filled out over 42 scholarship applications, making it to the University of Michigan. For most of my childhood, I lived with my grandmother who was a hero to my entire family. For her whole life, she took care of my aunt who had a severe mental and physical disability that limited her functioning to that of an infant. She was not supposed to live past birth, but my grandmother sustained my aunt’s life well into her 60s. I remember being around 11 years old and I saw my grandmother crying. I had never seen this before so I asked her what was wrong. She explained to me that policies/mandates were changing in Michigan and she would no longer be able to get the support she needed for my aunt's livelihood at the time. I asked her what she needed and she said “I need a lawyer. Become a lawyer.”

From that day, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to fight for the civil and human rights of those who don’t have the power to fight for themselves. In my case, women and children experiencing homelessness and those living with disabilities. My grandmother and my aunt were 2 of my reasons for law school. A week after I took the LSAT and two days after I submitted my law school application, my grandmother passed away from late-stage pancreatic cancer. At the beginning of my 2L year after a life setback, I was driving Uber 60 hours a week while still attending school. To add fuel to the fire, by the second semester, I lost my aunt who was my second reason for attending law school, driving me to severe depression and mental incapacity. At that moment, I thought I would withdraw. After support and self reflection I realized that losing my two reasons was a motivation not a hindrance. I was meant to fulfill my dream and continue to carry my grandmother’s words on my back… “become a lawyer…”

My mother ,Toi A. McQueen, pushed me to understand my Worth. My aunt, Renee ’NEE NEE’ Hill motivated me to lead with empathy, and My grandmother , Frances L. Hill, helped me grasp my Calling.

My name is Brie Milan Starks and I am your future Civil and Human Rights non-profit leader, mediation and conflict resolution expert, poet, creative writer, artist, motivational speaker, event planner, and future author.