Nikolai Morse ‘24
Staff Editor
Virginia Law First Generation Professionals (VLFGP) held their kickoff and first general body meeting of the school year on Tuesday, September 14th. Founded in April 2019, the group aims to facilitate the transition and integration of first-generation professional students into Virginia Law and the legal profession.
The meeting was led by Outreach Chair and VP Claire Reiling, ’22, who began by welcoming the gathered students and providing an overview of the organization’s various goals and functions, such as mentorship opportunities, networking, and general law school de-mystification. Representatives from several of the administration’s offices spoke, describing the resources and support they had to offer.
If you are interested in joining VLFGP or just want to hang, please email Andi Schlut at bas7bh@virginia.edu. Photo Courtesy of VLFGP
Lauren Parker ’08, Director of the Office of Private Practice (OPP), highlighted the breadth of support that OPP offers, from cover letters to candid advice on interview outfits. She addressed a common fear of 1L’s and specifically first-gen students, saying “you don’t need to have a lot of contacts to get a good job, you’re at a great law school. But that said, you have a huge network of alums we can and will connect you with.”
Amanda Yale, Director of Public Service, began by noting, “you will not need to know which fork to use to do public service. But you will have a very fulfilling career!” She emphasized the benefit that a diverse background can offer when you are a practicing lawyer as you can more easily relate to clients from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Assistant Dean Jennifer Hulvey described the support the Financial Aid office has to offer, from loan counseling to being able to talk with someone else who had been through the challenges of being a first-gen student, including that friends and family don’t always understand why you are taking on loans for “another degree.”
Ruth Payne ’02, Director of Judicial Clerkships, noting that the worst part of her job was hearing from alums who regretted not trying to clerk, urged students to not count themselves out of applying to clerkships.
Dr. Katherine Gibson introduced herself and pointed out that while law school is a stressful endeavor to begin, the experience as a first-gen student can add additional stress, which she and her office are happy to discuss.
Professor Andrew Hayashi spoke last and offered thanks and advice to the gathered students. “Each of you is a gift to the community and the diversity really matters in the classroom. I encourage you to not just try to get through law school, but to thrive and take advantage of everything the school has to offer.”
Many of those on the panel described their own experiences as first-generation law students. One member of the panel noted that when they came to law school, they assumed most lawyers were “ambulance chasers.” Many other anecdotes revolved around the incomprehensible mist of words that is “law school jargon.” This reporter himself still doesn’t understand why perfectly normal words like “outline” now mean something entirely different.
But the mysteries of law school aside, the meeting was notable for its strong attendance, excellent Wegmans pizza, and the presence of multiple offices from the Law School administration. For an organization that only began in April 2019, VLFGP appears to have established itself within the Law School quickly. When asked what some focus areas are for the organization, Claire Reiling pointed to an effort to connect students with the many alumni and faculty members who were first-gen lawyers themselves. In parting, she commented that many students are unaware of the broad interpretation of “first-gen” that VLFGP employs and urged students who are interested to join.
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