Leading with purpose: Law student eager to make a difference

For Maya Huffman, Law ’26, there was no doubt, no hesitation, no unexpected detours on her career path. She knew when she was in high school that she would pursue a career in public service law. Today, as one of three Arthur Russell Morgan Fellows at UC’s College of Law, she is one year away from achieving that dream.

“I think that UC has set me up for that perfectly. UC has offered me an abundance of opportunities where I can help people as a law student. In five years I would love to be in the Cincinnati area, hopefully giving back to the College of Law. I don’t know specifically where I’ll end up. Doing something where I can help people — that’s the bottom line for me.”

“Growing up in Toledo, my neighbor's daughter was a Lucas County prosecutor,” Huffman says. “She is now a Judge in Lucas County. I shadowed her one day to learn about her role and was super inspired and captivated by the work she did as an attorney. Since that day, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in law, specifically public interest law so I can serve my community. I took the steps in undergrad, even in high school, to get to law school.”

As an undergrad, Huffman majored in psychology and political science, with a minor in pre-law. She earned plaudits with her honors thesis, “Legal Implications of Framing Human Trafficking as Modern-Day Slavery.” A research project highlighted the implications of using the Thirteenth Amendment in addressing the issue of human trafficking.

The highlight of her undergraduate years was an internship with the Washington Program in National Issues in Washington, D.C. “I was at the U.S. Marshals Service in the D.C. District Court, so I got to sit in on a lot of different court proceedings at the federal level and learn about what the Marshals did, what it’s like to be in a courthouse in D.C., what it’s like to live in D.C. That definitely catapulted me into law school.”

Fueled by a passion for social justice, Huffman zeroed in on the UC College of Law as her first choice. Being awarded several scholarships made the choice possible, and she’s grateful to them.

She believes that having donors who support scholarships like hers help make the UC College of Law a superb institution — valuing student success and training future advocates. “Being a student at the College of Law has been the highlight and honor of my life.”

Huffman is president of the Student Bar Association and managing editor of the Human Rights Quarterly, an academic journal. She serves on the Moot Court Honor Board and the Immigration and Human Rights Law Review.

UC has also facilitated real-world experiences for Huffman. She has worked in various clinics, most recently at the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati and Cincinnati’s Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic. During a semester abroad, she worked as a research assistant to a law professor in Lisbon, Portugal.

Looking ahead, Huffman sees a multi-faceted future. “I want to help people, but I also want to be in court,” she says. “I want to be litigating. I want to be up on my feet, talking to people, really seeing the difference I’m making in my community on a day-to-day basis.

Featured image at top: Maya Huffman is a student in UC's College Law. Photo/UC Alumni Association