While on the job, all three men said that they had a noticeably greater interest in the law than their fellow police officers.

“I found that I loved talking to the prosecutor about the law itself,” Driscoll says. “I loved the whole job. [But] I found that I was really fascinated when I got to go to court.”

Braskich voiced similar sentiments.

“What interested me most was the law,” Braskich says. “I love memorizing all the different statutes and learning the procedural rules. It’s like a puzzle.”

Sara Gross, a Baltimore prosecutor who worked with Braskich, agrees.

“He’s the only officer I’ve ever met who read case law for fun—more than most lawyers actually,” Gross says.

Braskich recalls that seeing lawyers use the same techniques of “logic and argumentation” that he learned as a philosophy major helped solidify his interest.

“The idea of mastering the law and working with law enforcement ... it all sounds exciting,” Braskich says. “Being in court I felt kind of jealous.”

Ezekiel says he was attracted to the legal profession because he thinks that lawyers have a greater ability to have a wide-spread impact.

“Police officers make a large difference with whom they work,” Ezekiel says. “But broader impact is harder.”

Both Driscoll and Braskich said that they thought Harvard was an especially good school for learning law practically. “The reason Harvard Law was my top choice, besides the prestige, is that there’s a balance of academic excellence and real-world experience,” Braskich says. “These are lawyers who’ve walked the walk.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Driscoll and Braskich both say that after graduation they want to be prosecutors, perhaps on the federal level.

Ezekiel says that he did not want to speak specifically about his plans for fear of compromising his future chances, but did note that he thinks that his experience as a police officer will serve him well.

“For some types of law, it wouldn’t help at all,” Ezekiel says. “[But] for a lot of legal jobs, people skills are key. And that is largely what police officers do.”