Taylar Anderson

Name:

Taylar Anderson

MSU Degree:

BA in English, Pre-Law and Spanish Minors, 2021

Any other degrees:

AA, Hinds Community College, 2021

JD, Howard University School of Law, 2024

Favorite memories of being an undergraduate English major:

Taking Creative Writing during the outbreak of COVID-19 and turning our pain into art!

Current Position:

Criminal Defense Attorney / Assistant Public Defender

Organization:

Maryland Office of the Public Defender

When you graduated with a degree in English from MSU, what were your plans for your future?  Has your career path mostly realized those early plans, or have you discovered new plans and goals along the way?

I knew I wanted to go to law school and become an attorney when I started at MSU, but my English degree really helped me see that the sky is the limit for my career! Though I have fulfilled my early dreams of becoming an attorney, I hope to eventually discover other fields where I can use the knowledge I’ve gained from both my English degree and time as an attorney, such as education, book editing, and more areas of law.

What is your current occupation, and what does your work mostly consist of?

I am currently a public defender, which is essentially a criminal defense attorney employed by the state who only represents those who cannot otherwise afford to hire a private attorney. I provide legal representation, advice, and counsel to those facing criminal charges while also working with other individuals in my office to help provide social services for our clients, such as mental health, housing, immigration, and other recovery/reentry resources.

Which skills that you learned as an English major do you use most in your job?

I would say the critical analysis, reading comprehension, and creative thinking skills that we honed as English majors have proven to be very helpful in my work. Lawyering requires a lot of reading, researching, and writing in general, so my English degree naturally laid a great foundation for law school and my career. More importantly, I think having learned how to think and analyze both critically and creatively early on made it easier for me to do it as an attorney, which is especially needed in my field because we often don’t have a lot of time to analyze material and make conclusions before arguing them in court.

What additional skills did you need to learn in order to do your job, and how did you learn them?

I’ve had to learn how to be more open-minded, personable, and understanding because my job often involves navigating complex people and personalities who are in difficult situations. Beyond the legal elements, my job also has a lot of social working in it, especially when dealing with indigent clients who often have multiple needs that need to be met in order to truly help them. In addition, I have to practice a lot of patience, empathy, and understanding while also being strategic and focused while I plan the best way to represent those who are not always in the best condition to make the best decisions for themselves and their case. I think one of the most important skills I have had to master is the art of compartmentalizing my own emotions, which helps me protect my own mental and emotional health and keeps me from being overwhelmed by my emotions and getting distracted from the task at hand.

Are there common misconceptions about your career field, which current English majors might share, that you have learned the truth about?

I think there are several misconceptions about being a lawyer, but I think the main thing that I’ve learned is that the legal field is very broad and being a lawyer is not always what you may think it is. It often comes down to where your interests lie and what you’re willing to do or rather, what kind of lawyer you want to be. Not every lawyer is in the courtroom every day, but not every lawyer is sitting at a desk reading documents all day either. Most importantly, not every client looks the same. You may not agree with every client or support the goal of every case, but the main thing is to fulfill your duty as a lawyer, which is to ensure that your client, regardless of who they are, is receiving the competent legal representation that they deserve and are guaranteed by our Constitution.

In what ways does your career enrich your life and help you to achieve your personal as well as your professional goals? 

I believe my purpose in life is to help others when I can and where I can. And as a black woman from Jackson, Mississippi, I grew up particularly wanting to help people from marginalized and underprivileged communities because I am grateful for the village and community that empowered me to be where I am today, despite the disadvantages surrounding me. My career enriches my life by helping me fulfill that purpose both personally and professionally. As a public defender, I get to provide legal representation to those in need and who cannot otherwise afford the resources necessary to acquire the help they need, whether that be legal representation or treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues. My role helps fulfill my personal goal of helping those who need it most, and it fulfills my professional goals by giving me invaluable skills and experiences needed to ensure that I am the kind of attorney who can help my clients in multiple ways and leave them in better positions than where I found them.

What advice do you have for undergraduate English majors right now who might want to follow the career path you did?

I recommend getting used to reading and writing now while it is still fun! Challenge yourself often, broaden your perspectives, and heavily practice critically analyzing information. Create healthy study habits, be disciplined, figure out what routines and practices work best for you and the way you learn, but also enjoy this time! It is also important to find a balance now that allows you to still prioritize what matters to you even while working hard. Lastly, talk to lawyers doing what you want to do or are interested in. I always recommend researching the field or subject you’re most passionate about working in and then looking into what roles that lawyers or attorneys fill as they impact that field. Then look for those doing that kind of work and reach out to them for advice. You will be surprised at what you’ll find and what kind of legal career you can create for yourself. Law school and being a lawyer is no easy task, so do the research about both the school and field to make sure it is the best path to accomplishing your goals and living the life you desire.

[Updated July 2025]