Government

Berkeley Law Alum And Former NFL Player Colin Allred On Following Obama, The American Dream, And His Path Back To Dallas

This millennial attorney is running for office, and his story is inspiring.

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Colin Allred

“See, my pedigree most definitely don’t tolerate the front/ Stuff I’ve been through probably offend you/ This is Paula’s oldest son.” — Kendrick Lamar

Next month, voters will be flocking to the polls to vote in the primaries. This month, I was introduced to Colin Allred, a Berkeley Law alumnus and former Tennessee Titans football player who is currently pounding the pavement and running to represent Texas’s 32nd District.

Allred is a millennial attorney with a tremendous amount of legal experience. He has served as a research assistant for professor and author Ian Haney Lopez, in the Office of White House Counsel under Kathy Ruemmler, in a law clerk externship for the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, as an associate at Perkins Coie LLP, and as an Obama appointee in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

He also played in the NFL for almost five years. In 2010, he suffered a career-ending injury against the Dallas Cowboys in AT&T Stadium. As a Dallas native, it must’ve been bittersweet to both begin and end his football career in the city raised him. But his retirement from the NFL allowed him to pursue another dream, which has led him back to North Texas.

Last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Colin Allred and talk with him about his law school experience, NFL career, and political plans going forward. Throughout our conversation, his passion and determination to positively impact his hometown became clear. As a fellow millennial, I’m inspired by his drive and mission. I believe you will be too. Without further ado, here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

Renwei Chung (RC): You mentioned your passion for civil rights and politics was first sparked by reading former President Obama’s book titled, Dreams from My Father, and then furthered by the experience in your 1L constitutional law class and as a research assistant for Ian Haney Lopez’s book titled, Dog Whistle Politics. Can you expound on this?

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Colin Allred (CA): Growing up I was always told to become either a doctor or a lawyer. So, my first couple of years in college I was pre-med. Then I read Obama’s memoir and was captivated by the way he talked about the law and civil rights. We shared some experiences as black men of mixed racial heritage who were raised by our white mothers, and I was hooked.

By the time I got to Cal, however, I was considering a career in sports law. But Professor Haney Lopez rekindled my interest in civil rights. The book I helped him research, Dog Whistle Politics, delved into the way politicians from both parties used implicit racial appeals to get elected. Unfortunately, recently those appeals are no longer so subtle.

RC: After deferring twice, and then re-applying to UC Berkeley School of Law after your NFL career, what advice do you have for someone who thinks it’s too late to attend law school?

CA: My first day of law school was six years after my last day of college. In the interim, I had been doing something about as far removed from research and writing as you can possibly get. The transition was tough, but what I have learned is that the underlying traits that allow you to succeed in one profession can transfer to another.

In football I studied my playbook, my opposition, and made sure that no one ever outworked me. That commitment to detail and work ethic was critical to my ability to succeed in law school. I would say to anyone in that position to lean on what has allowed you to be successful before, and you will be just fine.

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RC: Why is diversity inclusion important in our legal and political systems?

CA: Our diversity is our strength as a nation and as a society. In this country, we mark our progress against the ideals laid down in our foundational documents: equality, freedom and justice. To continue the march towards those ideals, we have to have diverse voices in the room.

Diversity in the legal profession and in politics is fundamentally about representation and who has a voice in the creation and application of our laws, and it’s about providing role models for our kids that show them that they can grow up to be leaders, too.

We still have a long way to go to reflect the incredible diversity of faiths, colors, and creeds of our country and it’s vital that we make that diversity a priority.

RC: In 2014, you served as the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Director of Voter Protection for Battleground Texas, the first-ever statewide coordinated voter protection program. Why was this important to you?

CA: When I was in law school I spent a lot of time trying to understand the process defects that were holding back our democracy, and specifically the attacks on the right to vote. The Supreme Court has called the right to vote “preservative of other rights” with good reason. If you can vote, you have a voice and can protect your own interests.

As the Dallas-Fort Worth Voter Protection Director in 2014, I was proud to lead and oversee the voter registration efforts of hundreds of volunteers and a comprehensive poll watcher program that helped thousands of North Texans vote who might not have been able to otherwise. As attorneys, I believe we should all become voting rights activists.

RC: In 2016, you were appointed by former President Obama as a member of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of General Counsel, under Secretary Julian Castro. Several months later, you resigned when the new administration took over. Can you tell us about your experience?

CA: Working as an appointee in the administration of Barack Obama and with Julian Castro is one of the greatest honors of my life. At HUD, I helped protect and expand critical programs like FHA backed mortgage assistance and Section 8 vouchers, and to expand efforts to end housing discrimination against the formerly incarcerated.

I am immensely proud of the work we did there, and of the way we did it. Our guiding principal wasn’t what is the best political move, but what would be best for the American people and the millions of Americans who rely on HUD to help them have a place to call home.

Secretary Castro calls HUD the “Department of Opportunity” and I couldn’t agree more.

RC: Last April, you put your hat in the ring and announced you’re running for Congress. What motivated this decision?

CA: We need a new generation of leadership to come forward that seeks public office as a form of public service. I am running for Congress now to return this seat to the people I grew up with and who have for too long been forgotten by its Representative and a Congress that has lost its way.

I believe in the people of North Texas because I am one of them and because this area gave me the opportunity to chase my version of the American Dream.

Stories like mine shouldn’t be unique, but increasingly they are. I believe that government can’t create equal outcomes, but we can and must do so much more to create equal opportunity. This task cannot wait until 2020; the work must begin now.

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

CA: Thank you so much, Renwei. I really enjoyed our chat. I would say two things. First, our primary election is March 6th, with early voting beginning on February 20th. So, if you are in Texas’s 32nd District, I hope you will come out to vote.

Second, if you aren’t but would like to support my campaign please go to our website, colinallred.com, and get involved.

On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Colin Allred for taking the time to share his story with our audience. We wish him continued success in his career.

Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at [email protected], follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn. 

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