#MAKEITHAPPEN
Yodit Tewolde, Lawyer & JournalistAs anyone can imagine, we have a complex legal system here in the United States. Add to that a global pandemic, social justice issues, and most recently, a challenge to women’s reproductive rights—and you can easily find yourself lost trying to make sense of it all. Here to help is Yodit Tewolde, former defense attorney, prosecutor and judge and current host of BNC's Making the Case with Yodit. "It’s critical, now more than ever, that people have a greater understanding of how to navigate around our current legal landscape," says Tewolde, who names her immigrant parents and upbringing as the catalyst behind her career. "I’ve always rooted for the underdog and it's where my enthusiasm for advocacy stems from."
Yodit Tewolde in the Miller dickey jacket and Gemma jeans
My Hustle
Is plotting quietly and humbly, then manifesting fruitfully and abundantly.
What got me started…
My immigrant parents and upbringing are the reasons why I’ve always rooted for the underdog and it's where my enthusiasm for advocacy stems from. Having to adjust to a new culture and language was hard for my folks, but not having a practical understanding of laws and policies, how they’re interpreted/enforced, and their impact was detrimental. They needed a voice and a trusted source of information.
We’re living in unprecedented times, from a global pandemic to the longstanding fight against systemic racism, both of which continue to disproportionately impact Black people and other marginalized communities. And with new legal concerns and challenges emerging, like attacks on our reproductive and voting rights, it’s critical, now more than ever, that people have a greater understanding of how to navigate around our current legal landscape.
I’ve worked within the criminal legal system from every angle, so it’s important to me that I share my experiences and knowledge of its inner workings, and how the system is used to advance justice or to undermine it. I get to do that with my primetime show, Making the Case, on BNC.
What clears my head…
Cleaning
When in doubt, I…
Do it anyway.
Greatest challenge—and how I overcame it…
My greatest challenge was leaving a secured position as an assistant district attorney to start my own criminal defense practice. Yes, that decision came with fears, doubts, and a whole lot of “what ifs”, but I reminded myself that my biggest achievements came from temporary moments of discomfort. This was no different, and I haven’t looked back since.
how i make it happen
1. Therapist
2. When having trouble making a decision, I flip a coin. While waiting for the coin to land, my mind starts wishing for what it wants… boom, decision made.
3. Finding time each day to spend in quiet solitude
1. To-do list
2. Delegating
3. Stop, reread, and think before hitting the send button
Jesus!
Fail early, fail often, fail forward.
My Style
Turning shirts and blazers into "off-the-shoulder" looks by undoing a few top buttons, then pulling it down and letting it hang comfortably.
My wardrobe MVP…
A blazer. Forever and always.
What I would tell my younger self about getting dressed…
Less is more.
Wearing Veronica Beard makes me feel…
Like a BAWSE
My Recharge
Reading The Power of Ritual by Casper Ter Kuile, always listening to the best era of music—the 90s, and binging Manifest
Beauty/self-care must-haves…
Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, Sunday baths, and petroleum jelly--the cure-all
Favorite thing to do…
Boozy brunches
Favorite thing to make…
Reservations
One mover and shaker I admire…
The extraordinary Stacey Abrams
SHOP THE LOOK
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