Hayden Searcy
Bio
Reading Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago inspired me to go to law school. It is one of the most devasting books ever written. I don't want to see that kind of authoritarianism rise again. I write to make my voice heard.
Stories (14)
Filter by community
Dear 2025
Dear 2025, You were a good year. Our time together is almost over now. As we start to part ways, I find myself feeling grateful for everything we shared. We had some really good moments together. So much happened that I can’t even keep it all straight in my head right now, but let’s try to reminisce.
By Hayden Searcy11 days ago in Motivation
How the turn tables. Top Story - October 2025.
“Well. Well. Well. How the turn tables…” The awkward words uttered by Michael Scott. It’s a bastardized version of “how the tables have turned,” used to indicate a reversal or irony of a situation. And oh, how the tables have turned.
By Hayden Searcy3 months ago in The Swamp
Charlie Kirk's blood is on your hands Mr. President
That’s Charlie Kirk’s blood on your hands, Mr. President. You were almost on to something when you addressed the nation following the news of his death. You almost had it. (Full speech transcript here.) I was so ready to agree with you—for once. You said:
By Hayden Searcy4 months ago in The Swamp
The Best in Us
Few experiences in life genuinely move me. I use the term “move” in the deep emotional or spiritual sense where one is overcome by emotion. Most of life is day to day with ups and downs, highs and lows, but few of those highs or lows hit with a wave of emotion. The circus does this to me consistently.
By Hayden Searcy4 months ago in Psyche
It's just slow enough to blink and miss it
We aren’t descending into authoritarianism. We are already there. This is something odd that occurs. The news or social media tend to make claims that we are in danger of an authoritarian government or a constitutional crisis. We never want to admit that we have already hit that point. Maybe it’s delusion. Maybe it’s hope. Or maybe it’s happening slowly enough for us to not really notice it.
By Hayden Searcy5 months ago in The Swamp
History warns us. Will we listen?
"And how we burned in the camps later, thinking… We didn’t love freedom enough. And even more — we had no awareness of the real situation…. We submitted with pleasure!… We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.” - Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
By Hayden Searcy9 months ago in The Swamp
An open letter to new law students
Dear 1Ls (and prospective students), It’s pretty normal to be both excited and nervous about starting law school. It’s also normal to ask every lawyer or law student you meet for advice and to search the internet for tips and insider scoops. As I wrap up my second year of law school, here’s my advice to you.
By Hayden Searcy9 months ago in Education
Gatsby’s Extraordinary Gift for Hope
Three years ago, I walked into Admitted Students Weekend at Brandeis School of Law as an uncertain outsider. Last weekend, I returned for the third time — this time as a second-year student and ambassador — and saw myself in the hopeful faces around me. Each year I attend, I’m reminded why this is one of my favorite days in law school.
By Hayden Searcy9 months ago in Education
When did we elect sadists and cowards into office?
I knew Trump 2.0 would be bad, but I didn’t expect America to turn into Hogwarts under Dolores Umbridge overnight. The new Trump administration is full of sycophants and sadistic loyalists. Congressional Republicans are following orders like they’re preparing for the Nuremberg trials. Meanwhile, Democrats are still in a state of shock and disbelief after they lost the election.
By Hayden Searcy10 months ago in The Swamp
There is more than meets the eye in El Salvador.
Pacific Ocean beaches, volcanoes, coffee farms, Mayan Ruins. There is more than meets the eye with El Salvador. Human rights violations, U.S. deportations, Venezuelans, "the world's coolest dictator," and an American King. Typically, when you search online for a Central American country, you get a bunch of images of beautiful beaches, jungles, and travel options. Right now, you get a bunch of political news stories about jails in El Salvador and where our self-declared king is threatening to send people. The new relationship between the United States and El Salvador marks a turning point in our history. This isn't just about jails and immigration policies. This is a clear indication of the direction we are headed in. We aren’t sailing into a storm. We're already in one, and we're hanging on for dear life.
By Hayden Searcy10 months ago in The Swamp
