Welcome Legal Extern Joe Manasco

My name is Joe Manasco. I will be an extern this semester at Alabama Appleseed,
assisting with legal research. I am a proud Alabamian (I call both Huntsville and Jasper
my hometowns) and a 2L at Georgetown Law.

Growing up, I didn’t have many opportunities to travel— so Alabama was all I knew.
Despite having nothing to compare it to, I always believed there was something unique about our state. It amazes me that, somehow, there’s enough room in Alabama’s heart to hold deep love and kindness alongside an equally deep desire for cruelty and anger. I am fascinated by how that dynamic has molded Alabama’s past. I want to do my part to ensure that Alabama acts only on the good parts of its heart in the future.

After graduating high school, I knew I wanted to do something to help people, so I decided to become a preacher. While I pursued my ministry degree, and for a brief time after graduation, I worked as a youth minister in Tennessee. Following that, I preached at a church back home in Alabama. During that time, I started hearing about the deaths and ongoing despair in ADOC prisons. I began reading books that highlighted racial and other social injustices that infect our criminal legal system. I thought about heroes like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rep. John Lewis, standing against injustice no matter the cost. I reflected on my struggles growing up in Alabama. I noticed that certain principles held deeply by myself and many other Alabamians— love, mercy, compassion, and justice—were often painfully absent from our state policy generally and criminal justice policy especially.

All these factors inspired me to go to law school and ultimately led me to Alabama Appleseed. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of an organization that preserves hope for Alabama’s future and works diligently to improve Alabama today.