I Went To Yale Law School And Trade School Because American Prosperity Depends On Both Lawyers And Tradespeople

Washington Post Op-Ed:  I Went to Trade School During Law School. It Left Me Stunned, by  Darnell Epps (J.D. 2024, Yale; Founder & CEO, Thurgood):

Last month, I had the honor of walking the commencement stage at Yale Law School with my two children, ages 1 and 6 — a huge achievement for someone raised in New York City public housing. Equally important to me, however, was my other graduation, several months earlier, from Lincoln Technical Institute, a vocational school in East Windsor, Conn.

While several of my peers at Yale pursued joint JD/MBA degrees, I decided to wed my Doctor of Law with a diploma in manufacturing technology and machining. ...

At the time, I was working as an entrepreneur-in-residence with a venture capital firm and exploring ways to use software to provide well-paid jobs to people in low-income neighborhoods. I believed that many Americans struggling in the labor market could benefit from well-paid jobs that didn’t require a college degree. Determined to understand the skills employers were seeking, I decided to enroll at Lincoln Tech myself. ...

My graduating class at Yale seemed poised to produce dozens of “Big Law” attorneys, while Lincoln Tech would graduate just two machinists. I was stunned. Although I love the law, both as a profession and as a tool for social change, I also know that lawyers are better at billing clients than building and maintaining our nation’s critical infrastructure. ...

My Yale-to-Lincoln Tech path has reaffirmed my belief in the untapped potential of skilled trades. It has shown me that the future of American prosperity depends not only on lawyers and executives but also on machinists, welders and all skilled tradespeople who are the backbone of our economy. But we must reshape the narrative around skilled trades and foster a cultural appreciation for these essential careers. ...

You may be wondering what exactly I plan to do with my own two diplomas. I plan to build a software-driven recruitment company that helps people find good careers in the skilled trades and advanced industry. I want to pave the way for a new generation of workers who can thrive in the advanced manufacturing renaissance, driving innovation and growth for decades to come.