Laura Durbin

The Hardwick Fellowship at The University of Tennessee College of Law’s Institute for Professional Leadership

What’s in a name? For this Fellowship, it’s a name representing a legacy of leadership and empowerment created by my mom, Martha Hardwick.

Mom played a pivotal role in shaping my views of leadership. Throughout my life, she empowered me and never imposed limitations on my aspirations. This upbringing instilled in me the qualities of a leader, even though I may not have initially sought out that role or those responsibilities. She gave me space to explore, which created a resilience in me. It allowed me to develop a sense of comfort with being uncomfortable, assessing situations to make decisions on my own, and realizing that I could trust myself when faced with dilemmas.

Mom’s expectations of herself, my siblings, and me yielded dividends in my choice of profession. As an attorney, I immediately felt the inherent leadership expectations placed upon me. People naturally look to attorneys for guidance and direction. Mom had been a force-of-nature-type leader in my life, yet she had done it from the shadows and without ever explicitly calling out her efforts. Reflecting on my mom’s influence, I soon realized that leadership can take various forms, whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes.

I decided to invest in the College because of its profound impact on my life. I attribute my professional successes to the education, community, and opportunities I found there. I wanted others to have those opportunities, and I wanted to make a meaningful investment that would specifically create leadership inroads for students. This led me to the Institute for Professional Leadership (IPL).

I discussed the needs of the IPL with Doug Blaze, a co-founder, and we identified the significance of having a student assistant. This realization led to the creation of the Hardwick Fellow position within the IPL. Leaving something better than I found it has become my intrinsic goal; this Fellowship is my attempt to do that with the College, and I am grateful for that chance.