My name is Lihán Harris. I’m the single parent of a beautiful little girl, a Hispanic immigrant, a U.S. Army veteran, and a first-generation college senior. And I will be a lawyer.
Being the first person in your family to attend law school—in other words, a “first-gen” student—comes with a unique set of challenges. Here, Camille deJorna shares her thoughts about first-gen students and LSAC’s work expanding access and equity in education.
Today I am thrilled to introduce Flor Gonzalez, a 3L student at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law in California. Like Kendeil Dorvilier and Mamadou Jawo, Flor is already committed to doing work in the legal field that will advance equity, access, and diversity across our society.
This week I’m pleased to introduce Mamadou Jawo, whose journey to law school at the University of Wisconsin began in his childhood, in West Africa. There, one day after school, he went to see his father at the police station where his father worked, and what he saw there became a cornerstone in his dream of becoming a lawyer.
One of the biggest challenges I face in leading the Law School Admission Council is also one of the most rewarding parts of my job: advancing access and equity through law and legal education. While the challenge comes from the structural inequities in society that only grow deeper without keen vigilance and productive action, the reward comes from working with our member schools and others who join in LSAC’s mission to “bend the arc” toward justice.
