Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society to Celebrate 25 Years in 2017
A bigger year is planned, with emphasis on help from alumni.
Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society provides all the resources it needs for students interested in pre-law, said Monique Thevenin.
“We’re the only open pre-law society on campus and we’re here to help support pre-law students on their journeys,” said Thevenin, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “Whether they’re going to go on to law school, decide to work in public service, or decide that law isn’t for them at all. We provide them the resources to figure it all out.”
The society, which is open to all students, helps in a myriad of ways such as creating LSAT study groups, providing LSAT materials, pre-law textbooks, holding resume builders, teaching students how to network and speak publicly, as well as networking opportunities with those in the legal field.
Kennina Ip, the president of the society said in the beginning of each academic year they hold Thurgood Law Week.
“We hold it early, when it’s not so busy so that freshmen students, some of whom are unsure about the legal field, can begin that networking process as soon as they step foot on campus,” Ip said.
The week is usually set to coincide with Law Day said Ip, the senior majoring in political science and majoring in Africana studies. Throughout the week the group hosts different law related events and usually collaborates with different organizations to cover different aspects of law. The culmination of the week is the law conference.
“What we do for that day, is we bring in judges, and lawyers and we bring in other legal professionals such as paralegals and law professors to share their experiences, give advice and network with students,” Ip said.
One of the high points of the year Thevenin said is the Annual Law Trip. The trip, which takes place over spring break and involves 10 to 20 students, focuses on taking students to cities they might not consider as locations for law school. The trip is mostly funded through the society she said. During the trip they try and meet with the dean of admissions for law schools nearby, meet law students in the area and connect with practicing professionals.
Ip stressed that the society goes beyond professional development.
“Besides law related events we’re a very social and multicultural organization,” she said. “Part of our mission is to allow students to start that journey of self-discovery, and our biggest social event of the year is something we call the step and stroll show.”
Watch Your Step is a dance competition involving groups from across the nation.
“It’s a great way for people to bond and see that Thurgood is not only here for you professionally but also here for you when you’re trying to build those social connections in college,” she said.
The society will mark its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2017 and both Ip and Thevenin said they plan on having a bigger and better Watch Your Step and a larger Law Trip, possibly to northern California. The group is also working to reach out to alumni from the society to share their stories with current members and to help with future events.
“They helped us get to this point. Without them laying the foundation we wouldn’t have much of an organization to work with,”
Thevenin said. “We have so many opportunities thanks to all of the hard work they’ve put in.” Thevenin added that alumni in law school ask to come back to speak with current members to let them know about law school and how to succeed.
While the groups set to celebrate its anniversary Ip and Thevenin are looking towards the future of the society.
“There are some organizations that hold events on campus that everyone knows is the event [they] have to go to,” Ip said. “And that is where I want Thurgood Marshall to be in 10 years. I want it to be the organization that students know they need to be a part of.”