Local lawyers mentor students
By Jazzmin Cox
“Road to Becoming a Lawyer” kicked off on Wednesday, April 2 as Kean University Pre-Law Society Organization’s first event. The event was held at Kean University’s Center for Academic Success Building Lecture hall as an endeavor to help inspiring lawyers understand what is needed to succeed in a career in Law.
The event was held in the evening from 8 to 10 p.m. The Pre-Law Society reached out to local attorneys in the state of New Jersey to come and speak on their experiences as a lawyer as well as any valuable advice one may find necessary to follow in order to acquire success in the field of Law. Three experienced attorneys, one being a visitor and two being teachers at Kean, were present. A Statutory and constitutional Law attorney in the country of Columbia, Professor Juan Carlos Orejarena who has been teaching business ethics at Kean for over 12 years, A former public defender of the state of New Jersey and adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at Kean, Yvonne Segars and an Attorney who has experience as a Public Defender and Prosecutor in the state of New Jersey, Joan Richardson spoke.
The event was said to cover the cost, the different types of law schools, the variety of attorneys that you can be and bringing intro into the legal profession. “It doesn’t matter what your major is you can go to law school with any major, President of the Pre-Law Society Basimah Caldwell states,” you can do it if you really believe in yourself, it just takes a little hard work, you can make anything happen.” At the beginning of the event all the officers of the organization introduced themselves and proceeded to open the event for the speakers. Basimah the president, Sarah the secretary, Kendra the treasurer and Stacey the Public Relations specialist of the organization stood as they did their introduction.
“I love what I’ve chosen to do with my law degree,” says Attorney Joan Richardson,” the law degree itself is a very versatile degree, it opens up the door to politics, policy, courtrooms, understanding and interpreting the world around you. It’s an honorable and noble career. It can open the door to other areas that you may or may not be interested or have propensities for.” All three lawyers sat in front of the lecture hall in a straight line and after every attorney told their story of how they became a lawyer the audience applauded. The lecture became a discussion as the students asked plenty of questions.