By Bryan Howard

As a part-time law student working full-time and attending school in the evenings, I have experienced the lack of awareness and understanding that so many people and organizations have about the process. Working all day and then attending classes in the evenings does not leave much time for networking, attending extracurricular events, or getting creative in terms of finding future jobs. Some evening law students use their law degree to climb the hierarchy in their current job. In this situation, the law student likely has already developed a relationship with the employer and may not have a need to network outside of that setting; however, some evening law students go to law school for the purpose of leaving their current careers. These scenarios have different outcomes but the things that remain the same are that evening law students are non-traditional students, generally with life experiences and a work history, who have decided to dedicate nearly all their free time to obtain a law degree.

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By Jonathan Bogues 

Dear 26-year-old Jonathan,

Congratulations are in order. You’ve worked hard, graduated from law school, and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam! You’re the first person in your family, immediate or extended, to obtain a graduate degree and reach these new heights. Your family is so proud of you and brags on you every opportunity they get.

You’ll think that you have arrived. You’ve made it. You’re on your way to Easy Street and everything that comes along with it: the corner office, the BMW with all the bells and whistles, the deluxe apartment in the sky.

But wait a minute and pump your brakes, as that is far from the case. Now the real work begins. You will encounter and go through things that law school and the bar exam did not prepare you for. You’ll start applying to jobs that you’re interested in and think you’re a good fit for; however, it seems like you will hear a million noes or “no, thank you” and sometimes no response at all before you’re finally able to land something. You’ll be hurt, discouraged, second guess yourself, wonder if you’re smart enough, and wonder if you have what it takes to be “successful,” but you won’t give up. You’ll persevere, you’ll grind it out, and your friends and family will support and encourage you, and have your back no matter what. Finally, you’ll land that first job, and you’ll happily accept it.

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Spencer Fritts

Meredith Brewer

By Spencer Fritts and Meredith Brewer

The winners of the 2023 North Carolina Legal Feeding Frenzy were recognized on Monday, May 1, by Attorney General Josh Stein.

The Legal Feeding Frenzy is an annual collaborative effort of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the North Carolina Foundation Endowment, Feeding the Carolinas, and the North Carolina Attorney General.

Meredith Brewer and Spencer Fritts, co-chairs of the YLD Legal Feeding Frenzy Committee, along with Mike Darrow, Executive Director of Feeding the Carolinas, participated in the remote award ceremony.

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By Taylor Dewberry

I have been Smith Anderson’s Chief Diversity Officer for over a year now. In this new role for our firm, I have contributed to the impactful Diversity and Inclusion (“D&I”) efforts of our firm’s longstanding D&I Committee and led other new and exciting efforts and projects.

As a Black and Asian woman, I know how it feels to feel “othered” in many spaces throughout my life. This personal experience inspires me to do everything I can to make sure that every individual who works at Smith Anderson feels that they are home and can bring their full authentic selves to work. When people are fully authentic at work, we all benefit from learning from one another and having people with differing backgrounds and perspectives all working towards the same goal.

Some of my favorite D&I efforts at Smith Anderson have been our community building work because it facilitates opportunities for real and authentic connection (beyond the standard elevator conversation about the weather and other small talk). Our efforts include quarterly social events for diverse associates, diversity mentorship programs, and panels with diverse in-house counsel.

We recently put on an event where all mentors and mentees in the diversity mentorship program selected a book that was meaningful to their life and experience. Each person then explained why they chose this book and then the book was given to another participating lawyer for them to read. Copies of all the books were gifted to a local school for future scholars to enjoy. This event was particularly meaningful because it built community and connection within Smith Anderson while also giving back to the Raleigh community in which we live and work.

I’m also proud to lead our firm’s Mansfield Certification efforts. “The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities.” In participating in Mansfield Certification, we have had the opportunity to exchange ideas about D&I efforts with our fellow Mansfield cohort and to make sure that we are considering our diverse attorneys for key opportunities and positions within our firm.

My most cherished parts about being the Chief Diversity Officer are the open and honest conversations that I have with my co-workers about ideas for new D&I efforts, their lived experiences, and their paths to becoming a lawyer. Through these open and vulnerable conversations, I learn so much from them and can incorporate their feedback into new efforts or changes to our existing efforts. We have to be able to adapt and tailor our efforts to the needs of our internal community, and having these conversations allows us to do just that.

I cannot wait to build upon my experience from the first full year to create even more impact for 2023!

Spencer Fritts

Meredith Brewer

By Spencer Fritts and Meredith Brewer

One in five children are food insecure in North Carolina, and more than 1.2 million North Carolinians – from children to seniors – face food insecurity and hunger in our state. The NCBA YLD’s Legal Feeding Frenzy is an opportunity for our legal community to come together to fight hunger across North Carolina and in your local community.

This food and funds drive lasts the entire month of March, with each law firm competing to see who can raise the most food per employee to benefit local Feeding the Carolinas food banks. By donating to food banks within our state, your dollars go further. Every dollar provides five meals.

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