The Black Student Union (BSU) hosted guest speaker Bradley Harper, Palm Beach County’s first elected Black judge. He discussed legal cases pertaining to Black American history.

The Muse sat down with Judge Harper on his career and experiences throughout life.

Q: What led you to join the legal field?

A: I wanted to come back to this community and hopefully help make it a better place. I saw (that) having legal training will help me be a better communicator.

Q: What’s your day-to-day in the field?

A: I’m a circuit court judge. I was elected as a county court judge in 2016 and appointed as a circuit court judge. (In) 2021, I served in the Civil Division, where I presided over cases involving people that have disputes where they are seeking money as a form of damages or reparation. 

Q: How do you feel talking to students? Do you think that it helps the students?

A: It helps me, number one. It’s important for judges to stay connected to school(s). Hopefully, it helps the students to hear my story or what I do in some way helps somebody.

Q: Were you in any clubs like BSU in high school?

A: Absolutely. I was in BSU, I ran track … I did theater, I was in drama, which I only joined because a friend of mine said ‘You should come try out for a play.’ I did it, and I got a part (in a show) and found something that I love doing. 

Q: Do you feel like being a part of different communities helped you during high school? 

A: They helped me not only during high school but throughout life. One of the ways that it helped me is because I’m comfortable communicating with anybody, no matter what background they come from (or) where they went to school. It’s not trouble for me, because I know that we all share more in common than we (have differences). (I know that) there is more that connects us than there is that disconnects us, and so it enables me to quickly find those points of connection and to be able to communicate with many others.