Q&A with 1L Kadi Braxton, Former Forensic Security Employee Turns Nontraditional Law Student

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of Q&As with incoming Minnesota Law students.

An on-the-job injury in Pennsylvania and early retirement put Kadi Braxton on the path that landed her at Minnesota Law. She recently answered a few questions about her background and aspirations as she embarks on her legal education here at Minnesota Law.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2021! You have an interesting background, having worked as an employee of a prison and having been injured on the job. Could you discuss a little bit about that experience?

Minnesota Law Class of ’21

Thank you. I’m excited to be here for this next part of my journey! I was a Forensic Security Employee (FSE) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. An FSE is a cross between a prison guard and a psychiatric aide. I spent a year having classes and training on mental illness/health, de-escalation, criminal procedures, custody, control measures, and interview/intake and documentation methods. I was assaulted during an overnight shift. As a result, I was severely concussed and damaged my spine and knee. I had several procedures, vestibular, physical, and occupational therapy, pain management, and used various braces. I managed to surpass my treatment team’s anticipated level of function and mobility. Unfortunately, much of that damage is permanent and I was forced into early retirement. Since then, I have adjusted my plan for life and the ways in which I navigate through life physically.

Could you talk a little bit about that and the importance of diverse perspectives in the classroom and beyond?

I have a single perspective. I cannot extract some characteristic that makes me a person and speak with only that perspective. I am a queer black person with disabilities, Philadelphia native, graduate of a predominantly white institution, retired officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, nontraditional student, someone who loathes labels, and many other components. All of these attributes come together in shaping the Kadi Braxton perspective. Diversity is merely a vessel. It creates an opportunity to learn and to engage with people of difference in an open, enlightened, and respectful manner. With some effort, diversity can help us reach the true important destination: inclusion and equity.

Why Minnesota Law?

I want to be proud to call myself a member of a university. I want to be immersed and impressed by the program’s substance. My visit during admitted students’ weekend was a crucial moment. I asked difficult questions and received seemingly honest answers. The community here seems genuinely interested in intellectual stimulation, inclusion, and integrity. If this is an accurate perception, Minnesota Law fits the bill.

Minnesota Law is also a place known for putting an emphasis on leadership. What does leadership mean to you?

I have an expansive view of leadership. I don’t believe our leaders are always at the forefront, bullhorn in hand. There are many people who work tirelessly, diligently, selflessly, yet quietly and without recognition—often to their own detriment—toward a common good or goal. In my view, those people are leaders.

What do you hope to do with your legal education?

Like all law students, I hope to dismantle myths, destroy barriers, and change lives. I would like to practice land use and planning transactional law. I’m also interested in going into academia.

Do you have any interesting hobbies or leisure activities?

I’m pretty adventurous, so I’ll try almost anything twice. I enjoy photography, dancing, code switching, and fiction, both reading and writing.

The community here seems genuinely interested in intellectual stimulation, inclusion, and integrity. -Kadi Braxton '21

What three adjectives describe you best?

Approachable, adaptive, authentic.

What else would you like to share with the Minnesota Law community about yourself and your aspirations?

I aspire to live every day being the change I want to see in the world.