Devyn Murphy: ‘I felt increasingly lost’

Devyn Murphy said she came to Charleston School of Law with a clear destination in mind: to practice law.

“What I didn’t realize at the time was that I had no compass or real sense of direction within a field far broader than I understood,” wrote Murphy in the latest issue of the American Association of Law Libraries [AALL] newsletter. “That lack of direction quickly became overwhelming.”

Murphy said she wrestled with the sense of being rudderless. “It felt more like wandering through a never-ending labyrinth,” she explained. “I felt increasingly lost, unsure of where I fit or what truly sparked my interest.”

She clearly remembers the moment she discovered her calling, which came unexpectedly during a presentation by a Charleston Law librarian. “Something clicked,” she said. “For the first time, I felt a sense of clarity. I could see myself in that work. I left that class not just relieved, but excited, with a growing sense that I had finally found a direction worth pursuing.”

Murphy, who will graduate next month, served as a Technical Services Assistant in the Sol Blatt Jr. Law Library at Charleston Law.