Vlad Frants

In a nutshell, I'm an advocate for the concept of Being Heard. I was born in Ukraine and raised in Brooklyn by a single mother who did not understand English. My mother cleaned floors and hit near rock-bottom, like many new immigrants do. Hard work and commitment to learning helped me and my mother overcome barriers that today I help others overcome.

Gaps in our everyday systems have created a subculture I call Voicelessness. Those gaps exist all around us. People often have to access systems they know nothing about, and through no fault of their own, they fall into the gaps created by their lack of knowledge. They become voiceless.

I've seen it in everything from immigration to community resource programs to education — and these gaps are often hard to spot, but they have real consequences in the lives of everyday people. When I spot them, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to bridge them.

Courtrooms are organically populated with people just like my mother, who could and would have done better if only they knew who to call, what to ask, or how to say the words.

I am proud of our legal system and committed to the application of its laws, but I believe voicelessness plays a part in the outcome for many people who were unable to overcome the gap. Whether it's criminal law or immigration law, or any legal discipline, I truly believe that justice is only rendered when everyone feels they've had access to it, they've understood the system they were part of, and they were heard. And that will be the pillar by which I will measure my own success on any judicial bench.