On Saturday, March 20, 2021, members of the Minorities in the Profession Committee hosted the first virtual Pre-Law Conference. This annual program has been traditionally conducted in person at one of our North Carolina law schools, as we invite participants from all over the state to join us for conversations about why someone would want to consider law school and a legal career. This year’s virtual format allowed the committee to invite students from all over the country, and students from other states besides North Carolina participated in the conference.

The format of our program consisted of several interactive panels covering topics of interest to anyone curious about law school, such as the admissions process and financing a legal education. Panel discussions with current law students and practicing attorneys were also part of the program.

The day opened with an inspiring keynote address by Destiny Williams, founder of the company Black Girls Do Law. Williams discussed her path to forming the organization with the mission of empowering, supporting, and promoting black women in all aspects of the legal profession. The three-hour program ended with some engaging breakout groups where participants were able to meet in a smaller setting to talk one-on-one with our volunteer attorneys.

The main takeaways from all the sessions were:

Be resilient;
There is no one way to approach law school;
Everyone will carve their own path; and
Remember that there are many people out there who want to see you succeed, so ask for help when you need it.

The Minorities in the Profession Committee is committed to increasing the diversity of our profession and offering opportunities to develop future lawyer leaders. Albeit the virtual format, the committee and participants were pleased with the format, and at the same time, we look forward to the ability to gather again in person for our program in the spring of 2022 (we hope). The planning committee thanks everyone for their participation and ideas, and we look forward to doing it again during the next bar year.

April Giancola is originally from Long Island, NY. She has been at UNC School of Law in their Career Development Office since 2016. After graduating from New England Law – Boston in 2000, April served as a public defender in Phoenix, AZ and worked in civil legal services in Washington, DC. Since 2007, she has called Raleigh her home, and worked at NC Prisoner Legal Services and Disability Rights NC. After 16 years of public interest legal experience she now harnesses that expertise to advise law students and alumni. From resume and cover letter review, to strategic job search planning, April is able to utilize her networking skills to identify the most viable legal job opportunities for the Carolina Law family. When not in Chapel Hill, April enjoys spending time writing plays, singing in a women’s choir and watching her 11-year-old son play baseball.

April 21, 2021/by NCBA MIP