During the 2019-2020 school year, Cumberland School of Law’s Office of Admission created a new paid student position in which current students can help support the recruitment process. The student liaison for diversity and inclusion works directly with the admission team to help in its recruitment efforts of diverse law students.

The liaison for 2021-2022 is second-year student Alexis Heard. Here she shares more about why she chose to pursue law school, her vision for filling this important role, and how Cumberland alumni may support these efforts.

Why did you choose to pursue law school?

I knew that I always wanted to become an attorney. Although I did not have any attorneys in my family, I was always fascinated by the lawyers I saw on television and how poised and confident they were. After a family tragedy that led to my mother going to prison, I decided then that I needed to go to law school. It was no longer just something that I wanted to do. Going through that traumatic event led to me seeing how important attorneys are when you really need them. I hope to soon become an attorney who people will call for their legal needs and to be someone that they can trust to get the job done.

Explain your role as the student liaison for diversity and inclusion for the upcoming school year.

My role is to work to encourage a diverse group of students to attend to Cumberland School of Law. I will speak to potential future students at admissions events throughout the year as well as engage with current students to discuss ways for the school to be more inclusive and diverse. I believe this position is extremely necessary and am honored to have been appointed to this position.

I believe that diversity and inclusion are very important elements to the overall dynamic of any group. Having different perspectives and students from diverse backgrounds, I believe, leads to a more wholesome learning environment that is conducive to all students.

What are your goals in this role for 2021-2022 school year?

My goal this year for this position is to implement a diversity recruitment plan to attract diverse applicants to the law school.

I have many ideas on how to achieve this, starting with engaging programming and visiting local high schools to meet and speak with students interested in attending law school. I believe that being more present in the community would help Cumberland School of Law to attract more students from diverse or traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. I would love to help Cumberland reach this goal.

How can alumni and current students get involved in your efforts?

Alumni can get involved by reaching out to me or Whitney Dachelet, our assistant dean of admission and enrollment management, about upcoming events. I also encourage anyone to send me suggestions for events that they would like to see happen. Alumni and students will be notified by email about upcoming events which will also be posted on our law school website and social media channels.