Written by: Karletta White — Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Department

Grambling, LA – The Criminal Justice Department at Grambling State University produces more than just great law enforcement officers, it prepares and produces well-rounded scholars eager to explore a broad range of careers and post-secondary endeavors, including law school. Recently, ten criminal justice majors from GSU were selected by department faculty to attend the “Iowa Law Bridge Program” in Iowa City, Iowa. Karletta White, an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at GSU and alumna of the University of Iowa, was overly excited when she received the grant from the University of Iowa that would give GSU students the opportunity to attend the 3-day law program at no expense to the students or GSU. Professor White was nominated for the grant by Dr. Alexander Lodge, a GSU alumnus and graduate of the Iowa Law School.

The University of Iowa hosted the GSU students and students from other universities from around the country during the weekend of February 19-21. “The Bridge Program” was designed to introduce students of color to law school. Throughout the three-day program, students learned what it would be like to be a law student, how to develop the strongest application possible, what a law school class is like (a mock class), the best ways to write with clarity, and factors they should consider when they begin to apply to law schools and ultimately choose one, along with many other items. The students were also assigned to a team with students from other universities to work on an assigned project with one of the law school’s professors or a local practicing attorney. The students received readings before the program that they were required to fmish before the start of the program and then they used those readings to work on their assigned group projects. The students ended their weekend by presenting, along with their teammates, how they resolved their assigned Project. Ultimately, the “Bridge Program” was also a way for the university to get to know the students better and to get them to know the Iowa law school better in hopes that some of them will attend. All of the students said the trip to Iowa and the actual law program activities was an eye opening experience that they will never forget and plan to use all of the information they learned to begin their law school application process.

The ten students who attended the law program were: Courtney Borden, Tanisha Watts, Jordan Easton, Allison Williams, Brittany Brown, Jakeyla Walters, Andrew Tibbs, Tia Stephens, Shannon Watty and Ja’Terious Pouncy. A special thank you to the faculty and staff (Ms. Wanda Jacobs) of the Criminal Justice Department and Professor Clarence Williams of the Social Work Department for assisting with this special project.

###

Media Contact:
Office of Communications
318-274-2866
mediarelations@gram.edu