Season 45 of the popular reality series Survivor returned to our screens last week, revealing some fascinating contestants among its ranks – including three lawyers. Julie Alley, an estate attorney who went to law school at 40 years old, Katurah Topps, a Georgetown University Law Center graduate and a civil rights attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Jake O’Kane, a freshly minted attorney and graduate of New England Law.
Despite such fascinating backgrounds in the legal realm, only one out of the three is open about their profession with their fellow contestants. Alley chooses to identify herself as an art teacher, her prior profession before law school. She jokingly mentions that no one wants to give a million dollars to a lawyer, perhaps explaining why she kept her true vocation under wraps.
Topps is similarly mum about her professional background, claiming she has a generic office job. The one exception is O’Kane, who has no qualms about discussing his occupation as a lawyer. One highlight from the first episode featured Topps curiously peppering O’Kane with questions about his career, despite her own extensive experience in the field.
The inaugural episode saw our trio of legal contestants survive, but it raises an intriguing question – will this taciturn approach surrounding their legal background aid or hamper their chances in the game?
Further updates from this legal perspective on Survivor Season 45 will be keenly followed by many in the legal fraternity. Read the detailed episode review from Above The Law here.