Joy Applewhite accepted into the Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program
Alcorn State University senior Joy Applewhite is laying a solid foundation that will ultimately lead to success.
The psychology major from Prentiss, Mississippi was accepted to participate in the 2017-2018 Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program in Chicago, Illinois. The Program aims to increase diversity in law schools and in the legal profession by subsidizing the LSAT preparatory course and law school application expenses of diverse, high performing college students who have difficulty paying the expenses associated with applying to law school.
Joy applauds the program’s mission of providing opportunities for minorities who aspire to be legal professionals.
“There should be more diversity in the law profession because the people involved in the legal system are diverse themselves. Diversity does not come in only the form of race or ethnicity, but it is also comes in the forms of gender, sexual orientation and other qualities that makes one diverse.”
The addition of diverse legal professionals, according to Joy, could play a major role in improving communication between the attorney and defendant.
“I believe that adding more diversity to the legal profession will encourage people involved in the legal system to become more trusting of the system, especially if they have a diverse background. People tend to be more open when the person representing them is from a similar background and can be more relatable.”
Seeking the advice of seasoned attorneys is something Joy is looking forward to when she attends the program. She’s confident that the diverse stories shared will motivate her to put her best foot forward.
“I hope to learn how they overcame the challenges they faced while pursuing their law degrees and building their careers. I find that to be the most rewarding advice because you gain knowledge of the different pathways people take when becoming a lawyer. Every lawyer’s story is not the same, and I believe that knowing that is encouragement to continue to pursue the dream of becoming a lawyer and leader of the community.”
This summer, Joy plans to study for the LSAT test, which she will take in September.
