Raised in West Philadelphia and educated in the city’s public schools, Deaven Ross saw early on how the law shaped her community and how daunting the legal system could be for families to navigate. “I realized I wanted to be a lawyer back in high school,” she recalled. Through a Career Day program, Ross met Judge Karen Y. Simmons and shadowed the judge at the Criminal Justice Center during her senior year. She also completed her senior project with Philadelphia criminal defense attorney Shaka Johnson. Those experiences connected her with mentors and gave her clarity about the role lawyers can play in supporting families and communities.

That spark grew at Drexel University, where Ross was a Liberty Scholar. During her undergraduate studies, she completed a co-op with former State Representative James Roebuck, who later connected her to then-Representative Joanna McClinton, now Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. From 2020 to 2023, Ross worked for McClinton, one of her biggest supporters as she began her law journey. Around the same time, Ross also became a single mother, a defining moment that tested her perseverance and strengthened her resolve to focus on family law. “Becoming a single mother during undergrad pushed me to persist. It also showed me the importance of family court. I knew where I wanted to focus.”

Guided by Commitment

Ross chose to attend Drexel University’s Kline School of Law because it offered both opportunity and familiarity, having already seen the value of Drexel’s co-op program and hands-on learning. “Other schools didn’t have the same clinics or experiential opportunities,” she noted. “Here, I felt I could really explore.”

She put that openness into practice by volunteering with the Philadelphia Family Court Help Desk, where she assisted people as they navigated the family court system. Later, she worked as a student attorney in the Stern Community Lawyering Clinic, which supports incarcerated individuals and their families, among other initiatives. She also built on years of grassroots mentoring and legislative advocacy, foundations that continue to shape Deaven’s approach to justice.

Through the Carl “Tobey” Oxholm III Summer Fellowship Program in the Law Department’s Child Welfare Unit, Ross gained courtroom experience and saw how attorneys can influence the everyday lives of children and families.

Currently, she’s a student attorney with Philadelphia Legal Assistance through Drexel’s Civil Litigation Clinic, representing clients in family law matters and advising pro se litigants with support from a supervising attorney.

Beyond the Paperwork

Ross has come to see that mastering advocacy is about patience, empathy and perspective. For her, the strongest advocacy happens when humanity and legal reasoning intersect.

She values lessons that can’t be found in casebooks, like slowing down to listen, finding common ground in tense situations and recognizing how even small acts of guidance can alter someone’s path. “Every moment reminds me how much more there is to do. I don’t want to stop when a role ends, or a program is over. I want to keep going.”

Looking ahead, she feels ready to transition from observing and assisting to fully assuming the role of an attorney who makes decisions, files arguments and carries cases forward. That responsibility drives her to seek opportunities where persistence and compassion matter as much as legal reasoning, and where her work can bring stability and resilience to families in need.

A Future in Service

Asked about the future, Ross doesn’t hesitate: Her focus is on public service. “This solidified my commitment. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” She hopes to continue serving in roles that protect children and strengthen families, with an eye toward positions in local government.

To other students considering public interest work, Ross offers straightforward advice: “Don’t hold back. Even if it feels intimidating, you have a great deal to gain. The opportunities are too important to pass up.”

For Ross, this is just the beginning.