A Seat at the Table? Cultivating Legal Education for Marginalized and Minoritized Law Students Within and Beyond Racial Capitalism

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The legal system's legitimacy depends on those who are custodians of it reflecting the views and experiences of a broad swath of the country. In 2020, the law student population was 5% Hispanic and 5% Black. One reason for the lack of racial representation in law schools may be that they are not attuned to the needs, challenges, and values of their non-white students. We examine issues of minoritized students’ access to and participation in legal education, focusing on: 1) law school rankings as an initial hurdle to minoritized individuals’ access to a legal education, 2) law school climate, once a student gains access, and 3) the perceived value of a legal education as students proceed towards a legal degree.

Sub Unit

• Division I - Education in the Professions

Chair

• Raquel Muñiz, Boston College

Papers

• An Access and Equity Ranking of Public Law Schools - Christopher L. Mathis, University of Maryland

• Critically Rethinking the Concept of Critical Mass - Dwayne Kwaysee Wright, The George Washington University

• What COVID-19 Institutional Responses Teach Us About the Value of a Law Degree for Latinx Law Students - Raquel Muñiz, Boston College; Andrés Castro Samayoa, Boston College