Dear Mr. Neal,
I apologize for the great delay; I had meant to send this letter weeks ago. I guess I got overwhelmed with finals and graduation. I just wanted to thank you for speaking at Walter F. George last month. I know that your visit was not under the best circumstances and that you did not wish to be there. However, I just wanted to let you know that I sincerely appreciate the fact that your visit allowed me to become aware of the story of such an amazing person as yourself.I offer apology and ask for understanding regarding some of the remarks made by my fellow classmates. You had every right to defend yourself. What happened to you was an egregious and disgusting miscarriage of justice. The suffering that you endured at the hands of a kangaroo court is inconceivable and unjustifiable. I find that the greatest shame in this matter falls upon the heads of those individuals who so maliciously prosecuted you. My experience has shown that there will always be people who are jealous of the success of others. If you were lazy and unsuccessful I doubt that anything would have ever happened. It appears to me that some of the people involved in this case were envious of your success and hard work, and that they sought to bring you down by attacking this proverbial “chink” in your armor. However, it seems to me that their attempts to besmirch your name have failed. You were tarnished, but you were not destroyed. You have faced trials and tribulations that few will ever experience and you persevered. To steal a line from the quote that you left for our class, “beautiful people do not just happen.” You are a beautiful person, and I am certain that one day you will regain all that you have so unjustly lost. I personally found your story to be an inspiration, and I feel that I relate to you on many levels.As a first generation college graduate I have had to overcome numerous hurdles in my pursuit of success. Coming from such a humble background I have encountered numerous individuals who appear insulted, if not disgusted, by my desire to succeed. I guess people confuse a desire for success with greed or a sense of entitlement. However, this perception is misplaced. I push myself to succeed so that I can be the best person possible, so that I can positively influence the world around me, and so that I do not go gentle into that good night. Again, I cannot tell you enough how motivational your story was to me. As a somewhat disenchanted 3L I sometimes lost sight of what brought me to law school in the first place. Your story reaffirms my decision and lets me know that no amount of difficulty should prevent me from achieving my goals. Since the day I started law school I knew that I wanted to practice personal injury so that I may help those who have been wronged. Like you, I was told that if I wanted to become better at trial that I should practice criminal law. So in an effort to better myself I was sworn in under the third year practice act, and I have been representing clients in court ever since. I am sure that you have a lot going on in your life at the moment, but should you have any free time I would very much like to hear from or possibly meet with you regarding any advice that you may have on how I can achieve my goal of becoming a successful personal injury attorney. I know some may disagree, but I very much see you as a role model for achieving my aspirations. I hope all is well with you and your family. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, John A. Welch