We’re a group of law students who care deeply about welcoming first generation law students into the legal community and equalizing access to opportunities. We’re not all first gen, and we come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life; but we are all passionate about ensuring everyone has the tools to succeed on their own terms and by their own definitions of success. So we’re writing about our own stories to share with you what we wish other people had told us.
Hafsa is a first generation college and law student and the proud daughter of Pakistani immigrants. She double-majored in International Human Rights and Political Science at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. Hafsa is an aspiring civil rights attorney (Class of 2020), particularly interested in issues affecting women of color. She wants to dedicate her career to dismantling structural violence, empowering the silenced, and restoring dignity to the marginalized (world peace is a little too ambitious, even for her). She developed the idea for this project to remind all law students that they belong and their dreams are attainable. In her free time, Hafsa enjoys watching scathing political satire, drinking coffee, and overthinking everything, because life is complicated.
Mai is a first generation law student. She was born and raised in Khartoum, Sudan; she and her family immigrated to Dallas, TX when she was 12. Mai became a a top student, studied Agribusiness Management at Texas A&M, and graduated with honors. She then worked for a top-ranking Texas criminal defense attorney on high profile cases. Before law school, Mai traveled to Africa to help provide immigration and legal services. Mai now attends Seton Hall Law (Class of 2020) and plans to practice Commercial and Transactional Business law. She says, “I vowed to my father that our struggle shall not be a mere story to tell but a journey of success.” In her free time, Mai enjoys traveling, currency collecting, and decorating.
Mel started law school at 28 to find her purpose in life. She was born and raised in New Jersey. She will enter into the environmental law field after graduating with the Class of 2020, focusing on environmental justice to right the wrongs committed against low-income populations. Mel gradated from Herbert Lehman College with a degree in Anthropology. In between writing about her law school anxiety for strangers to read and her SBA responsibilities, Mel enjoys spending time with her cat Grim, baking, and doing karaoke. Mel strongly believes that no one should give up on their dreams no matter what. Your life can change at any age! It is never to late the become the best antagonist in someone else’s story.
Tatiana is a first generation law student and a first generation American. She was born in New Jersey, but most of her family migrated to the United States from Jamaica. Tatiana went to undergrad at American University in Washington, D.C. and now goes to Seton Hall Law School in Newark, NJ. Her interests include working towards a more socially just world, constitutional and criminal law, cooking and eating Caribbean food, brunch, makeup, and she’s trying to wean herself off of NFL football. Tatiana has had a challenging but rewarding experience in law school so far, and she hopes that she can lend some useful advice to other ambitious first gen law students. She truly believes that you can be yourself and be successful in the legal profession at the same time.
Disclaimer: This site is run by law students who speak from personal experiences. It is not meant to be professional advice, nor is it meant to substitute counsel from any other source. We disclaim any responsibility from adverse reliance on this site or its content.
First Gen JD 