34th Annual Minority Alumni Welcome Reception
Minority Students Association
Professor Caryn R. Mitchell-Munevar
Guests at the reception
More than 150 New England Law | Boston alumni, student leaders, and other guests gathered for the school’s 34th annual Minority Alumni Welcome Reception on September 15, 2017, at the Boston Park Plaza.
The annual Minority Alumni Welcome Reception is a chance to recognize student accomplishments, celebrate law school diversity, and provide an evening of networking for multicultural alumni and students. It has been a New England Law | Boston tradition since 1984.
Minority law students and organizations doing great work
The Minority Alumni Welcome Reception brought together members of New England Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Latin American Law Students Association, and Minority Students Association.
These campus groups foster a sense of community, provide academic support and mentorship opportunities, and encourage professional development. They also promote critical legal awareness of the issues affecting diverse law students, such as underrepresentation, misconceptions about affirmative action, and racial prejudices affecting upwards mobility. They also collaborate with other Boston-area and national multicultural student groups.
Toward the end of the evening, Professors Caryn Mitchell-Munevar and Hon. Barbara Dortch-Okara presented the Charles Hamilton Houston Enrichment Program Scholarly Achievement Awards to the following students:
- Mabel Covarrubias-Doucette
- Leonela Felix
- Lucas D. Fernandes
- Byron C. Foote
- Sujin Han
- Thanh H. Ho
- Eli D. Kim
- Hei Tung Leung
- Johnnise P. Lopez
- Sarah J. Minsk-Eduardo
- Kevin Moy
- Stephanie C. Naranjo
- Diana K. Nguyen
- Yike Ni
- Courtney Person
- Lesly M. Suriel Guerrero
- Jennifer Vera
- Kirby L. Viera
- Tanasia O. White
Fostering community and representation
Events like the Minority Alumni Welcome Reception are particularly meaningful, given the lingering disparities in the number of multicultural lawyers working today.
According to The Washington Post, approximately 12% of all lawyers come from historically underrepresented backgrounds, despite comprising a fifth of all law school graduates and more than a third of the U.S. population. And less than 6% of equity partners are people of color, says NALP.
The annual Minority Alumni Welcome Reception is a small step in addressing those inequities, tapping into New England Law’s unique legacy. The school was founded to provide legal education to women at a time when they were often excluded from advanced professional study, the first institution of its kind.
This commitment to encouraging diversity in law school has expanded over the years to include and support others from groups that historically have faced obstacles as they strive to reach their professional goals. Currently, New England Law is around 30% minority and 60% female students. Almost one-third of current first-year students are people of color.
Learn more about diversity at New England Law | Boston.