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Peter Barber is a man of many interests, but for much of his early career, he wasn’t sure which to pursue.

As a result, the future engineer-turned-budding sociologist-slash-writer spent his first few post-college years working as a landscaper. He loved the work but couldn’t shake the feeling he was running from something. Then it clicked.

“I’ve always been attracted to working with my hands,” Barber says. “But somehow, I just didn’t feel like I was making a difference as best I could: You cut the grass; the grass always grows back.

“I am really passionate about social issues, but I was very jaded about what was happening at the national level and felt powerless. I came to the realization that I was pretending these problems didn’t exist.”

Barber says issues like growing income inequality and special interest influence in U.S. elections are daunting but are what ultimately pushed him to consider a career in law.

After turning his attention to law school and being accepted into the UW, he found an almost immediate connection with appellate law.

You need people doing this kind of appellate work in order to get fair legal outcomes for people who are underserved.

Appellate law is a decidedly unique branch of the legal field. As part of their work, appellate attorneys seek to correct errors by trial court judges, advocate to overturn previous court decisions, and persuade appellate judges to expand or change interpretations law on behalf of their clients. It requires a deep knowledge of myriad aspects of the law and a flexibility to work with a wide range of clients and cases.

“A lot of the time, you’re dealing with clients who often had no money to hire a private defense attorney and relied on public defense, sometimes clients who represented themselves pro se,” Barber says. “Without zealous representation, the outcomes for you within the legal system are going to be so much worse.”

That’s where appellate attorneys come in, and Barber early in his time at ������Ƶ was drawn to the field. He shined in his first year as part of the school’s 1L Appellate Advocacy Competition, which allowed him to flex his writing muscles as he developed as a law student.

When he was awarded a fellowship to work for the Washington Appellate Project over the next summer, Barber couldn’t say yes fast enough.

Based in Seattle, the is a nonprofit organization that melds appellate law with public service.

Its attorneys provide representation for indigent clients appealing criminal convictions, civil commitments, or termination of family rights before the Washington Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Over the course of the internship, Barber handled three appeals cases for which he wrote opening briefs, presented oral arguments, took part in case-planning sessions, and worked with seasoned attorneys throughout to craft arguments.

“It is just amazing the quality of attorneys there,” Barber says. “I was impressed so often just how brilliant the people working there are and how much they know about the law.”

The experience, which combined a strong writing background with the challenges of wielding a comprehensive mastery of the law, effectively cemented the path Barber is pursuing as a law student.

As a result, today — much like in his days working in the sun — he is laying the foundation for a career reshaping the legal landscape in pursuit of justice for clients who need it most.

 “One of the things I’ve learned through the internship is that you need people doing this kind of appellate work in order to get fair legal outcomes for people who are underserved,” Barber says. “Civic duty is due for revitalization in this country, and I want to be one of the people who contribute to that.”