Queens County Bar Association connects with CUNY Law students
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CUNY Law students post their personal motivations on the wall of the school. Eagle photos by Rachel Vick.
By Rachel Vick
The Queens County Bar Association seized the opportunity to connect with the next generation of law students during CUNY School of Law's 1L orientation on Wednesday.
QCBA President Marie-Eleana First, Law School Liaison Committee co-chair Joel Serrano and 2L Student Ambassador Tycel Harris were ready and waiting at the Long Island City law school when the new students left orientation. The QCBA reps posted up at a table strategically placed along the line for free pizza.
The QCBA’s presence was part of a series of tablings intended to promote the bar association and encourage student participation. First emphasized that the QCBA provides a space for students to explore their future career through participation on committees, outreach and connections with established professionals.
“The community aspect is so important,” First said. “We try to encourage students. Joining provides students with resources and networking that could lead to job opportunities and foster leadership skills.”
Reactions to the bar association varied among the incoming 1L students. Many said they did not realize they could join before graduating and were unsure of membership benefits.
The Queens County Bar Association emphasizes student outreach during a visit to CUNY School of Law.
“I’m not sure what the significance is of me joining this early,” said student Mona Patel. “I was trying to figure out why it’s so important now instead of after I’ve graduated.”
Student Mo Hossain said she was initially uncertain, but was open to joining the QCBA after hearing from the representatives and other members.
“I heard from a 3L that joining a bar was really nice because of how many attorneys and people who practice are involved, so you can meet people who’ve gone through the same things you have and maybe get,” Hossain said. “It’s something worth considering.”
Incoming 1L Robert Sweet said he was worried about not coming from a legal background. Sweet said that after a long conversation with the QCBA reps, he felt that the bar would open doors for him and help mitigate the constant worry about successful networking.
“There’s a lot of students who come from a [variety of legal backgrounds], so to have the bar association as an option is really important,” Sweet said. “This quells a lot of the anxiety about meeting people and making those connections.”
The QCBA was formed in 1876 and is free for law students to join, with no fees until after one year of practice.
The QCBA will return to CUNY Law on September 9, and has upcoming tablings on Aug. 27 and 28 at Brooklyn Law School, New York Law School and St. John’s University School of Law.
