Jillian Briggs
03:59:59 PM
Andrew?
Andrew Nicol
04:00:07 PM
hi
Jillian Briggs
04:00:13 PM
Oh good!
OK, I'll just make it Andrew. Making sure he could get to the chat alright? Well we are at 4:00 o'clock so 2 all of our guests. If you're just joining us, welcome to our College of Public Affairs and administrations webcast featuring our legal studies major. We've got some fantastic guests with us today.
I will go ahead and let them introduce themselves. We've got one of for all you future price stars turning in. We've got one of your professors here. We have a former student who's in a lum and another student, rose, who is about to be an alarm in about 1 1/2 days. So she's our current student, so I will go ahead and let you guys introduce yourselves. I'll start with Doctor Hewitt if you want to go ahead.
All right, uhm, marcella, do you wanna go?
Hi, I'm Marcellus lay. Uhm I graduated in 2016 with a bachelors in legal studies and political science. Currently I'm in law school I just finished my second year today. So yeah.
Awesome, well I'm sure they're gonna want to hear all about that. And How do I have helped you get there? Um, and then Rosie? Would you like to go ahead and introduce yourself?
So, and I also want to throw out a big congratulations to Rosie for her graduation coming up. I know he mentioned that briefly. Uas has a big on line celebration coming up. There's like a countdown or home page was like an hour and or one day in 19 hours, right? Have you seen it recently?
Yeah, um, so I know the Chancellor has a big surprise for our students, so we're doing what we can during this weird, um, pandemic time to do what we can for our students. Since we can't do an in person graduation right now, so.
Alright well thank you guys all so much for joining us um and.
I guess the first question that I have, um, will kind of be directed for Doctor Hewitt in case we have some students tuned in who aren't exactly sure you know the obvious path with our major is law school. But I know there's many other paths. Could you just kind of talk about some different things that you can do with the degree, and in particular when we have students sign up, there were a couple asking about being a paralegal, so if you could touch on that too.
Awesome, thank you so much and then I guess my next question would be.
Dylan Dunn
04:04:41 PM
I'm sorry, but I do not see or hear Dr. Hughett in the webinar.
For both I know we kind of know the answer to this, but for Rosie and Marcella, um, your plans for what you're going to do with your degree? Marcel, I know you're already in law school, so if you want to tell us about that and maybe about health program at US got you ready for it, and then we'll move on to Rosanne. Will have her talk about her plans.
Yeah, so ask first interested in the program because they did mention like a lot of people that usually do it, are interested in law school and I was interested in law school before. I didn't go to college.
And also the program it helped me.
Be exposed to howl office sense of various areas of society, so that was interesting. Allow the courses were related to that.
And now I'm in last last couple years off and just worked.
And I mean a lot of the classes that I took at UI is also.
Have been important in like my first year law school so we have a research class. I'm sure you all still offer it and that legal research class and basically my legal writing for my first year law school. So the program does actually help you.
Well, thank you so much marcella Rosie. Do you want to share about your uhm?
And can you remind me I do you go to the pool? Is that right? Marcela. Where am I loyal? I'm sorry I mixed those two up so.
For those, since I know we've got a little bit of a technical glitch in Doctor Hewitt. Can't hear Marcelo for some reason. Myrcella mentioned that are legal research class was really helpful in her first year of law school, so.
Andrew Nicol
04:07:24 PM
@Dylan, Sorry about that! We will try to relay what she says, but this will also be recorded and you will be able to watch it again to see her responses.
All right, uhm? So I guess this question can be for any of you, but I basically wanted to you to share with our students who might be listening. What, in your opinion, makes our program at Usr Legal Studies program stand out from other programs at other schools?
Dylan Dunn
04:07:49 PM
Thank-you, Andrew!
Andrew Nicol
04:08:14 PM
@Dylan, you can try to leave the broadcast and re-enter to see if that fixes the problem, or try another browser! You are very welcome!
Dylan Dunn
04:09:34 PM
I switched from Chrome to Firefox and that fixed the problem! Thank-you for your help! :)
Andrew Nicol
04:09:47 PM
@Dylan, awesome!
Awesome, I just forgot one little housekeeping thing for our students are watching. Uhm, we do have a chat where you guys are more than welcome to ask questions down below, so definitely feel free to do that and I wanted to mention that I was really happy. Doctor Hewitt brought up that some of our classes are really interdisciplinary because one of our students asked a question before we started there. Very interested in Criminology and criminal justice so.
It's great for that student to know that and then I will turn back over to Marcella and Rosie. And you guys can answer the same question.
I will save the legal studies program. It's unique because.
I every other cause at class who didn't have a major like that. They just had like political science or criminal justice and that was it. So that helped make my decision to go to USC because they did have that program. I feel like it does expose you to things that most programs at other universities probably wouldn't. If you are like interested in going to law school.
oh, that's right. I'm sorry you can't get her. She was kinda talking about how our programs unique in that we have a straight up legal studies degree in a lot of places. She applied. Other than that kind of looked about.
Jummai Hamza
04:11:12 PM
what jobs can you obtain with a legal studies degree
Or or she talked about how they had, you know, political science, criminal justice, but not directly legal studies. So that helped her choose.
Thank you, rose. That was one thing that I was hoping that would come up was the Innocence Project because I think that's such a cool opportunity that we have.
Would any of you guys like to touch on some other um, like not necessarily classroom learning, but like practical learning that you got to do? Or doctor Hewitt that you know of that students have worked on like some kind of cool out of the box type things?
Is there anything you wanted to add about that? Marcella anything you did. Uhm kinda outside classroom practical learning while you were at Uas.
Yeah, so I participated in my trial. I think out in the first group of.
People that were in my trailer US and that was very interesting. I think I was taking a trial advocacy class at that time too, but you know, we learn more about opening statements, closing statements, how a trial basically works. So that was great experience, and that helps solidify my decision to go to law school after undergrad. So that was a really cool opportunity. And then the Pre Law Society that presented.
A few events that we could return. I remember we went down to UI UC to see justice Soto, my or there. So that was nice and dumb.
He also had a chance to do like else at practice, which was ultimately helpful and things of that sort so.
Andrew Nicol
04:15:18 PM
@Jummai, That may be covered as we go through this webcast, but if you want to discuss that on a deeper level you can email Jill at jhelm3@uis.edu. She is the advisor for the legal studies program at UIS.
Three Law Society definitely offered a lot of things and mock trial.
Awesome, well thank you. It's great to hear from both of you guys because you've had such different experiences since I know Rosie and after who? It can't hear. Marcelo was just sharing about her experience in mock trial an with our pre Law Society so.
I guess my next question is for Doctor Hewitt, do you have a favorite class to teach?
I bet you get some good debates in that class.
Yeah awesome. OK uhm then similar question for UM will start with Rosie this time. Do you have a favorite class that you took in the legal studies program?
Awesome, thank you Rosie. How 'bout you? Marcela, did you have a favorite class in your time at US?
Yes so I looked back through the transcript to see what classes to to think about this but law in any quality II'm not sure if the professor is still there but Quinn Jordan she was over that class and we talked about like various ways that the law is just.
Segregating and you know not equal for everyone.
One that we talked about was mass incarceration so it was interesting because I ended up taking a class last semester in Moscow called mass incarceration because of the lighting quality glass and one of the books that they had us read it so that class is very interesting.
I feel like and very relatable it just expose you to have the log could be.
Honey Boo in certain areas.
Awesome, well thank you Marcela. Uhm.
See if we have a Goodman here.
I guess this question would be for Doctor Hewitt. Do you have any projects that you're working on in the field right now? Like any research or community work, anything not directly related to teaching that you'd like to share?
Dylan Dunn
04:20:04 PM
How does someone apply to assist in the Illinois Innocence Project? I worked for the Illinois and Missouri Department of Corrections and have always been interested in being apart of an organization to review convictions of those who believe they were wrongfully convicted.
Rudie Logerquist
04:20:49 PM
Many classes seem to be leaning towards criminal law. Are there some opportunities or classes that would apply to a family or business law route?
Yeah, that's one thing that I think is really neat about, not just their legal studies program, but you IS in general. I know Doctor Who. You can't hear what Marcel was saying, but she was actually. It was like a perfect segue because she was talking about her lawn inequality class when she was at Uas.
Mass incarceration and things like that. So it's kind of really cool to me how.
All of you professors are, so you're so involved in scholarship and other projects like that, but then also you bring that knowledge into your classroom an it kinda helps students fine tune what they're interested in.
It's kind of been, I know Rosie fairly well. We work together in a different office on campus and it was really fun to kind of get her, get to watch her interests grow in the Innocence Project and things like that when she got involved with that. So, so I think that's a really cool thing about UI S across the board, and especially with the legal studies program so.
We do have a question, um, from Dillon in the chat and Dylan was asking.
About how you go about getting involved in the Innocence Project. So what do you guys want to share about that?
Wurood Dawoud
04:23:17 PM
https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/
Dylan Dunn
04:23:25 PM
Thank-you! :)
Great, thank you so much Rosie. We have another question from Rudy in the chat and it's a great one too. We kind of have been talking quite a bit about more classes leaning Tord criminal law, but she is interested in.
Family or business law. I do know we have a family law class, so I guess I'll let Doctor Hewitt chat about this one.
Rudie Logerquist
04:25:22 PM
Awesome, thank you!!
Great, thank you so much.
This I guess it would be another one for Doctor Hewitt. Can you tell us maybe about one of your really memorable students and what they've gone on to accomplish just as kind of an example, I know we've got two really good real life examples here, but just another one to give people some ideas.
Yeah, that's a good point. We really are diverse as far as well in lots of ways, but we have, you know, really wide range of students. The ladies with us today both came to us right out of high school, but we've got tons of students who you know, like Doctor Who. It was just talking about.
You didn't do that. They already have lives and families and kids and jobs. So we really are great at working with students like that. If that applies to any of you guys listening in today.
And then sort of the same question for you ladies just kind of flipped around. You have a professor that you really inspired you that you'd like to tell us about.
I would say Suzanne Borland. She does not teach there anymore, but I would say that she's very helpful. She's also the advisor over the Pre Law Society, so I got to know her. I had plenty of classes with their like probably at least five classes with her and.
I actually kept in contact with their after one. Yeah after I graduated, she wrote one of my letters of recommendation for law school and then I just always her very.
Interesting in an admirable, she was just very great with helping us. If we need any help with anything or want to talk about.
Other ways that we can use our degrees and things that smart.
For those of you guys who can't hear Marcela, she was talking about Suzanne Borland, who is no longer with you IS, but said she was really inspirational and that they've kept in touch since she was a student. and I think that's a really common thing too for our professors to keep in touch with their graduates. An you know she mentioned that she helped with writing recommendation letters to law school and everything. So would you like to go ahead, Rosie?
That's great thank you Rosie uhm then this next question I have is actually specifically for marcella as in alone.
If you had any advice for current legal studies students or students who are just about to start the program, what would it be?
As the one who's in law school now.
I'll say try to figure out your interest. So if you are interested in law school.
Try to figure out what you think that I know as far down the line, but what you would possibly want to practice and they have a wide variety of.
Horses that are available through the program, so that will be a great time to take calls on different aspects of the law and figure it out as well as make those connections with your professors because I know what I was there. Most of the professors were attorneys at some point, like they practice at some point before teaching so.
They have a lot of great advice that they could give you, and they could be helpful down the line so.
Thank you so much, um, and then I wanted to switch gears a little bit and this I know parts of being involved in college could be related to your major and I know both of you did some things like that with Pre Law Society and like I know Rosie was involved in lots of things but could you guys just share a little bit about your involvement like I know both of you have been involved in Greek life.
So just a little bit about, you know in general, being a student on top of being illegal studies student, do you want to go ahead, Rosie?
Oh no did my sound go out?
OK, I was just asking about being involved.
Awesome, how 'bout You Marcela. I know you were also a founding member of one of our sororities on campus.
Yes, so I was involved with leadership wife which is a service organization on campus. I also did alternative spring break which is basically where you go and volunteer on your spring break. I did it twice, so one year we went to Washington DC. The next year we went to New York.
Uhm, I also was part of the Black Student Union Relau Society mock trial. As I said before and I am a founding member of the Alpha Phi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, so that's what I did. But also the kinky curly hair club.
Oh, I remember that I don't know if it's still an active club anymore, but that was a really cool one that we had.
All right, uhm? Well uhm.
I did have uhm when students registered, they were able to submit questions that they have, and since we're fortunate enough to have come.
I think when you said you remember a black student union, it made me think of this, but she had a question about she is mixed race and she just wanted to know how welcoming of a campus uas is. So if you guys would like to share a little bit about your experience there. I know that I've kind of learned a lot from both of you individually about what your experience has been like, so if you wouldn't mind sharing them.
OK, well like I said I was apart of Black Student Union.
And they were very welcoming other people on campus with welcoming as well. I was apart of the capital scholars honest program. So that was a way for me to get to know your people. And the faculty were always welcoming.
Do you still have you Rosie?
So I would say the campus is welcoming. There's various at. I don't know what your races, but there are various affinity groups on campus so you're able to get to know people up your race. Or you know people of other races as well, even they have like an international week I'm. I'm sure they still have that diet and a lot of those organizations in groups come together and they have different days where they have different events, so it's a pretty levers campus.
Oh no, did we lose your sound again? Oh, thank you. Now I can hear you.
Yeah, that's one thing that I've always noticed I've been at. You ask about 13 years. I'm fairly new to my role here, but I've been working with the University for a long time and I feel like we do a really good job of celebrating different cultures. In difference is one of my favorite events all year is our International Festival.
And it's this big Uhm Festival we have in our rec center where all of our different cultural clubs you know. Rosie was kind of talking about those where we have clubs. It's celebrate different nationalities and cultures and they do performances all night long. So there's a different kinds of cultural, dance and song and things like that. And they have kind of like a mini fair where different people set up different clubs in just different individual setup clubs to teach about other cultures.
And one of the best things as they have food from all over the world for free for everyone to try so you can try different different cultures, foods and things like that so you know the club that Marcelo mentioned. I thought that they can be in curly hair club. It was just kind of really neat to me because it helps me learn about you, know how people's hair is different and that's something I never knew.
So I think you know we do a really good job just from my own experience here that I think we really celebrate different cultures so.
Alright, well um, we are kind of on the downward as far as time goes, and I know I already asked morsel of this question as in ulom. Uhm, but I guess I would just like to ask everybody what your advice would be for incoming legal studies students.
So whoever would like to take that?
Dylan Dunn
04:39:47 PM
What inspired and motivated everyone to obtain their Legal Studies/Legal Degrees?
I know you kind of answered this one already, marcella. Do you have anything you'd like to add?
Nothing to add, but this I guess reinforce I'm taking advantage of the wide variety of courses within the legal studies program to figure out what your interests are within the law, so that's it.
Alright, thank you so much Rosie.
I think that that's really good advice. Uhm, and I've we have two fabulous examples here. Marcella Ann Rose. I watched you both go through your four years of college and do such a great job at that. Uhm, you know, balancing a social life and activities that are both fun and have to do with your future and you both came out with seller grades and everything. So you guys are like perfect examples of that, but.
And I do want to let people know that I want to tie back to a doctor. Hewitt just said, uhm, you know, come talk to your professors an out those of you guys who do choose legal studies. I'll be your advisor, but there are so many people at uas that want to help you. So if you, you know, get overwhelmed right at the beginning, it's a really big life change like your whole world is different than it was a year ago when you're newly at college, so.
You know, if you need some help with balancing or figuring out how to get through, take advantage of being at UI is because you know we really do want to be there and help you get through it. So just like doctor Hewitt was saying so, and that's pretty much been my experience the whole time that I've worked here.
I saw we had another question come in from Dylan up and was asking what inspired everyone to obtain their legal studies or legal degree. So this actually good question for everybody.
It's awesome, your excitement for what you're passionate about. It's just like contagious, almost so I feel like it would be really great to learn from you just because it's exciting to hear you talk about it because you love it so much.
As I mentioned before, I was interested in going to law school so the recruiters Sony that this is a good program to be involved in and it actually exposure to different areas of law and how that I guess.
Intersex with what society? So that was a great opportunity to get that information before I even went to law school, and it helped solidify my decisions. Go so.
That's awesome that you're stuck with it so long.
Alright, well uhm I guess that just about wraps up all the questions that I have for you. You guys if you like we can hang out for a couple minutes and see if anyone asks any questions in the chat give people will open it up.
But if if you've got other applications or need to get on with your day, um, thank you guys so much for your time I really appreciate you participating.
So in Congrats to you guys for being almost done with your semester or Marcellus. You said you just finished up today, right?
Now I finished my last assignment.
Nice, so uh? What's next? Just relax all summer.
I don't know, uh, well yeah, as you know, in Illinois were still at home with sheltering in place, so I'm not sure what's next for the summer, but.
Yeah, well I haven't seen any questions pop up, so I guess I will let you. Lovely ladies, I'll get back to your day. Thank you again. So much for being with us.
Yeah, I mean some jobs are allowing you to do online work, you know work remotely, so hopefully that'll be what I do.
To do something during this time.
Um and I just wanted to remind our students listening that, uhm?
Andrew Nicol
04:48:34 PM
Thanks for coming!!
You know it kind of got brought up a lot today, but we really are all here for you and you know we're not just faces that you see on this web and R and you'll never see again, um, or we always bug our alumni to come back and visit. So sure, I Rosie marcella will be around a little bit and the inductor Hewitt will be around. We want to help you and we can't wait to see you in the fall.
Alright, thank you guys so much.
Dylan Dunn
04:49:02 PM
Thank-you everyone for your time and the information you gave us! I am so excited to embark on this Journey of Legal Studies at UIS!:)
By Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you guys for participating.
Andrew Nicol
04:49:14 PM
We are excited to have you Dylan!