Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Samdani.
Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Of course! But before that, I want to say thank you so much for featuring me.
I first got interested in the legal field during my sophomore year of high school. My U.S. history teacher had just explained the workings of the judicial branch, and I was fascinated by its prioritization of justice and independence. Since then, I have stayed informed on a wide range of legal topics, from constitutional rights to human rights.
My transition from high school to college was in 2020, right when the COVID-19 pandemic was causing most public places to shut down. There was also a lot of political and societal tension in our country at the time, and I noticed that a lot of people had questions on specific legal issues and proceedings that were not being easily explained to them.
While a lot of educational Instagram accounts already existed, I couldn’t find one that answered questions on specific law-related matters. In June 2020, I created my Legal Lessons Instagram account with the hopes of helping people understand certain laws, rights, and court cases in a simplified and easily digestible manner.
I’m now a rising college junior and Legal Lessons has amassed over 6,000 followers. I have continued to enjoy making posts weekly, which depend on the ever-shifting legal situations taking place both domestically and internationally.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The legal world is constantly evolving while also attempting to stay true to its foundation. Because of this, a smooth road has not been the case when it comes to making my posts and deciding what information to include and exclude.
When I first created Legal Lessons, I told myself that I would always try my best to show both sides in legal cases and decisions. Attempting to run an unbiased account was very important to me, especially because I recognize that people everywhere are all entitled to their own opinions and therefore should have access to knowing all sides of a situation.
This became difficult during more controversial cases, such as the recent overturning of Roe V. Wade by the Supreme Court. I had to remind myself that I created Legal Lessons to educate any given person, without knowing their beliefs or preferences. I made a post the same day Roe was overturned.
I put my own feelings aside and included quotes from both the majority opinion as well as the dissenting opinion. Focusing on providing Legal Lessons followers with objective information and hard facts is critical to each post.
I am conscious of how personal some of the issues that I cover are; that is why educating people to better comprehend legislation and legal decisions regarding those personal matters is vital.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Instagram is obviously a huge platform for all kinds of accounts to inform users. I feel like what makes Legal Lessons unique is how it really focuses on providing any person, no matter their background, with knowledge of the most recent legal events and their basic constitutional rights. This requires me to constantly stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the world.
I’ve seen a lot of accounts that rush to post instantly whenever there is breaking news. Before hitting the “post” button, I like to feel confident that I have composed a neutral post with the right amount of information, which helps in keeping Legal Lessons accessible to all audiences. In all of my posts, I also include the sources of where I got my information for users who would like to read the full article or just see some sort of verification.
If a major verdict was just released, I will make a post about it quickly and efficiently for Legal Lessons followers to get answers to whatever questions they had. If it is a slower news week, I use that to my advantage. No big legal case means I get to make posts explaining how sentencing is decided in a criminal case or what the Brady Rule is. Whenever something is related to the legal field, I feel passionate about it and get excited to share what I’ve learned with others.
I am also responsive to general legal questions that people direct message me with. I recently had someone ask me about whether or not people in the U.S. have a right to housing and shelter. After doing some research, I sent back a reply (the answer is no, there isn’t a federal law but an international one that’s harder to enforce). Of course, I am not a lawyer myself (yet!) so I do not offer legal advice, but I always enjoy looking into questions for educational purposes.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Growing up, I recall my cousins and me going to watch the Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2 Movie that had just come out. I was so excited––Harry Potter was a fantasy world that had completely captured my attention for most of my childhood.
The magical world had its own rules and procedures, all of which I was fascinated by. I was intrigued by the Ministry of Magic and its hearings, the different wizardly proceedings that took place, and how the fictional criminal justice system operated. Watching the final movie of the series was bittersweet; I still go back to Harry Potter books or movies as a source of comfort to this day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/legal.lessons
- Other:@legalxlessons@gmail.com
Image Credits
@legal.lessons
