Carmen Allen Day, a determined young lady from Camden, achieved her dream of becoming a lawyer 12 years after being given a second chance by Judge Charles Dortch, graduating from Rutgers–Camden Law School with a law degree.
Carmen Allen Day, a determined young lady from Camden, has achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, graduating from Rutgers–Camden Law School in the United States. Twelve years ago, Carmen stood before Judge Charles Dortch, facing the possibility of jail time for a juvenile offense. Moved by her sincerity, Judge Dortch reduced her sentence to six months of probation, allowing it to end with her high school graduation. ¹ ² ³
That moment became the foundation of Carmen’s transformation. Determined not to tarnish her future, she stayed out of trouble and committed herself to education. Despite personal struggles, including the tragic death of her father in 2015, Carmen refused to let grief derail her purpose. “I’m determined. I have not let anything interfere with my goal,” she said.
Carmen’s journey toward law school was not without setbacks. When she took the LSAT in 2017, her score initially prevented her from gaining admission to law school. However, she later received a conditional acceptance into Rutgers–Camden Law School—an opportunity she embraced wholeheartedly, even though it meant commuting nearly two hours daily.
Law school demanded discipline, resilience, and intellectual rigor. Carmen enrolled full-time, took on heavy course loads, and pushed herself academically. Alongside her studies, she interned with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, managed a thriving business, SheSoWavy, and mentored young girls through the I Dare to Care program.
Years after that pivotal courtroom moment, fate reunited Carmen with Judge Dortch—this time not as a defendant, but as a future colleague in the legal profession. “It felt like everything had come full circle,” Carmen said, recalling the emotional reunion. “No matter your circumstances, you are not what happened to you. You are what you choose to become,” she added.
SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, SCHOLARSHIP REGION
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