Written by: WSCL Marketing Team
Fitzgerald Garraud, known by his friends and classmates as Fitz, is a 1L at Western State College of Law. He made the decision to go to law school as a result of a culmination of life experiences over the years. These experiences include family hardship, his time spent teaching in underserved communities, and seeing how often people find themselves in a legal bind without access to a lawyer.
Now, as a first-year law student, Fitzgerald is still figuring out exactly what path in the law he’ll take. He’s interested in criminal law, civil rights, civil litigation, and even international criminal law. “I’ve gone through so many hardships in life that drove me toward the law,” he says.
Fitzgerald’s story highlights the importance of representation in the legal field, emphasizing the need to help others and contribute to a more accessible future.
A Family Experience That Shaped His Direction
Fitzgerald’s interest in the law began with a painful experience from his childhood. His parents immigrated to the United States from Haiti, worked hard, and eventually purchased a home, a milestone that meant stability and pride for the family. But when Fitzgerald was still young, his family lost that home under difficult circumstances.
The loss definitely stung, but the memory of the moment it happened was the most difficult for Fitzgerald to bear. “I still remember my parents’ faces, trying their best to conceal the hurt,” he says. “But I knew it was there. And I watched them keep going anyway, as their perseverance became a lesson in resilience.”
At a young age, he had to learn the helplessness that came with not knowing what to do next. That experience planted the seed for the career in law he’d eventually pursue. “I just never wanted anyone to feel like they had no recourse and no help,” Fitzgerald says. “I wouldn’t want any other families to experience what my family experienced.”
Lessons From the Classroom
Before law school, Fitzgerald spent several years working in education in New York City as a high school math teacher. During this time, he also became a mentor to many of his students. “Whatever you could think of in a school, I’ve done it,” he says, describing his time in various support and leadership roles.
Working in underserved communities showed him the challenges many of his students faced outside of school. He saw some of them get caught up in the legal system without knowing what their rights or options were. “I’ve watched a lot of my former students get entangled in the system and not know what their options really were,” he says. “They just go through it because they had no other resources.”
Those experiences made criminal law feel like the right path for him. What once felt like a career choice began to feel like a responsibility. “That was definitely another major incident where I was just like, no. Something has to change,” he explains.
Finding the Right Fit at Western State
When Fitzgerald began researching law schools, he wanted to find a program that would prepare him to pass the bar and build a stable legal career. “The main objective for me was passing the bar,” he says. “Looking at stellar statistics, first-time bar pass rates, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s where I need to be.’”
Once he actually started at Western State, it was the community that made the strongest impression. It felt like a welcoming and supportive space, which made the trek through a notoriously difficult field become a lot more bearable. “Everything else that happened after was icing on the cake,” he says with a smile. “From support staff to faculty to my colleagues and peers, I’ve had a tremendous experience thus far.”
The smaller class sizes played a major role in that experience. “I know my classmates. I know people outside of the classroom,” he says. “It’s so personal.” The smaller class sizes, he says, make it feel like you are a unique person everyone knows, rather than just another student.
For Fitzgerald, the environment at Western State comes down to three words: “Supportive. Close-knit. Encouraging.” For him, those are the qualities that define the culture of the school. “That speaks to the fabric of the community,” he explains.
Approaching the Law Like a Puzzle
Fitzgerald’s background in math continues to influence how he approaches legal reasoning. Where others may see complexity, he sees structure and relationships between ideas. “It’s a puzzle,” he says. “You’re finding all the pieces, learning all the elements, and seeing how they fit together.”
Even with preparation through the LEAP (Legal Education Access Pipeline) program, the first weeks of law school were challenging. “The first few weeks were tough, like nothing worked,” he admits. But once he began to modify his approach, things started to click. “Once you start getting the hang of it, everything starts to fit right into place.”
The key, Fitzgerald explains, is flexibility. Instead of sticking to a single study method, he paid attention to what worked and what didn’t, and was ready to make changes. “One of the most important things was not being afraid to edit my system,” he says. “This method didn’t work. Let’s try something else.”
Study Habits That Made a Difference
That flexibility has shaped Fitzgerald’s daily routine. After each class, he reconstructs the lecture from memory before checking his notes. “Immediately after class, I find a study room, and I attempt to recap the day’s lesson from top to bottom,” he says. He then turns those notes into outlines and gradually builds a larger outline for each course, making sure he always knows what material he needs to review.
One of his most effective strategies, though, happens during his commute home. He calls his wife and teaches her what he learned that day. “If I can teach it to her, then I know I did my job,” he says. Doing this forces him to explain concepts clearly and simply, which drills them into his mind as well. “Speaking about law is different from what’s in your head,” he adds. “That’s when you really tell what you know and what you don’t know.”
The Meaning of Black History Month
When asked what Black History Month means to him, Fitzgerald took a moment before answering. He described it as a time to reflect on the people who created opportunities that once seemed out of reach, and on the responsibility that comes with taking those opportunities. “Black History Month honors the people who opened the doors that weren’t meant to be open,” he says. “It challenges us to build the foundation for what comes next.”
He sees his time at Western State, the oldest law school in Orange County, as part of that foundation. The school’s supportive environment, accessible professors, and academic resources are shaping him into the kind of advocate he wants to become. “The combo is helping me grow into the kind of lawyer who can advocate effectively for my clients,” he says, “and also widen the access for people that look like me.”
He hopes younger students, especially those who may not see many lawyers who share their background, will look at his journey and recognize that the path is possible. “My journey hasn’t been linear,” he says. “There were times where I thought I wouldn’t make it here.” But being in law school now carries a deeper meaning for Fitzgerald. “I want them to know this is a possibility. This is an option. We can change the statistics.”
For Fitzgerald, the significance of the month is both personal and forward-looking. “Black History Month matters because it reminds us who we are, what it took to get here, and what we still owe the future,” he explains. “In today’s climate, unity is essential; not unity that ignores differences, but unity that commits to fairness and justice.”
Faculty Support and Finding Confidence
Like many 1L law students, Fitzgerald faced many moments of self-doubt. One of the most difficult moments came after a disappointing Criminal Law midterm. “I bombed it,” he says. “And I was like, what am I doing here? Do I belong?”
He went to his professor, Elizabeth Jones, during office hours to talk about his score. To his surprise, he found reassurance. “She was the first one to sit and smile at me,” he said of Professor Jones. “Let me know it’s all right.” That encouragement and support continued throughout the semester. By the end of the course, he improved tremendously. “She continues to support me, and it paid off big time,” he says.
He also credits Professor Nicole Rangel with broadening his interests to civil litigation, particularly in a time when legal protections often depend on someone being willing to fight for them. “Rights aren’t going to be self-executing,” he says. “They’re protected when someone decides to fight for you. Her passion opened up new doors to me,” he says. Professor Franco Torres, he adds, showed him the importance of authenticity. “He showed us to always be your authentic self. I see him do it. And it makes me realize it’s okay to do so in the legal space.”
Together, those experiences changed how he saw himself as a law student. “I feel like I’ve been empowered,” he says.
Staying Grounded Through Support and Faith
Law school can be overwhelming, and Fitzgerald is open about the emotional side of the experience. What keeps him steady is the support system around him. “When things get really tough, I don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and make a call,” he says. His wife, family, and close friends all play an important role in helping him stay focused and reminding him why he started this journey in the first place.
Faith is another important part of his life. “My conversations with God are one of the most sacred things to me,” he says. During the most stressful moments, those moments help him reset and move forward. They also remind him to stay grateful for the opportunity in front of him. “I always have to remind myself that I wanted this,” he says. “I asked to be in law school. And now I am, I need to be aware of all that comes with it.”
One of his strongest sources of motivation is his 10-year-old niece, Amiyah, who lives with sickle cell disease. Her resilience puts his own challenges into perspective. “She texted me, ‘I love you too, lawyer, you’re doing good,’” he says. “And that made my entire week.”
Carrying the Mission Forward
As he continues his first year, Fitzgerald is already thinking about the kind of lawyer he wants to become. Criminal defense remains a major focus, shaped by his experiences as a child and as a teacher. “I’ve seen how quickly people can be reduced to a charge,” he says. “Everyone is entitled to a defense. That’s a human right.”
For Fitzgerald, law school is both an opportunity and a responsibility. “I don’t take my position as a law student lightly,” he said. “I’m genuinely honored to be in this position doing what I love.” And at Western State, he says, that journey feels supported every step of the way. “You are really a part of this community,” he says. “And everyone makes you feel that way.”
