By Megan SaylesAFRO Enterprise Writermsayles@afro.com
LaVonda N. Reed turned the primary girl dean of College of Baltimore’s (UB) Faculty of Legislation on July 1 after serving at Georgia State College’s regulation faculty for 3 years. A navy brat, Reed grew up shifting from state to state, and a few of that point was spent in Prince George’s County, Md.
Her curiosity in regulation arose from a ardour for social justice and American historical past. Over the course of her profession, Reed has served as a professor of regulation for Syracuse College, a judicial clerk of the U.S. District Courtroom for the Japanese District of Pennsylvania and a telecommunications and company regulation legal professional.
Earlier than being provided the deanship, Reed had two probabilities to work in Baltimore, however she determined to go in a distinct path. This new function has felt like a homecoming, as a lot of her household and associates stay in Maryland.
“When this chance got here up final spring, I jumped at it,” stated Reed. “It was a superb time in my life to have the ability to make the transfer, and I used to be excited to have the chance, but once more, to return to Baltimore.”
The AFRO had an opportunity to sit down down with Reed to debate her targets and plans for main the regulation faculty. The responses under have been edited for size and readability.
As you’ve settled into your function, what have you ever recognized as priorities for the regulation faculty?
A few of the massive issues that we’re tackling right here on the regulation faculty are round scholar success. We’re specializing in tutorial preparedness whereas they’re in regulation faculty, growing the bar passage for our regulation graduates and programming that may enhance the pipeline of people who matriculate at regulation faculty.
We have now some fabulous applications the place we work with highschool college students through the summer time to offer a possibility for them to see what regulation faculty is like. We even have a program in collaboration with the realm traditionally Black faculties and universities (HBCUs) that creates a pipeline and preparedness for older college students who’re contemplating regulation faculty.
We’re additionally engaged on elevating the profile of our school. We have now a world-class, numerous school right here. They’re coming from everywhere in the world, they usually have all kinds of disciplinary pursuits. We need to increase the profile of the scholarly work they’re doing. Our people are engaged on issues from juvenile justice, to highschool truancy, to post-conviction initiatives.
You’re the first girl dean of UB’s Faculty of Legislation in its practically century-long historical past, what did this achievement imply to you, and what do you concentrate on the state of girls illustration in regulation?
It’s humbling, and it’s additionally a degree of delight. I do know that when historical past is advised a few years from now, it is going to be a major second for the college and the regulation faculty. I do know it’s been a long-time coming. It’s additionally an enormous accountability. I function a task mannequin for lots of people. I need to do the perfect I can for this establishment, the scholars, alumni, school and employees.
It’s usually stated that folks can’t be what they will’t see. My function is multi-fold. My major accountability is to run the day-to-day operations of the regulation faculty to arrange it for future success. However, I additionally acknowledge that my serving on this function with excellence, grace and sophistication additionally reveals younger girls who’re developing behind me what is feasible. They’ll see that they will do laborious issues in the event that they see different girls in management roles navigate laborious conditions and remedy issues.
I do what I do in honor and recognition of the individuals who got here earlier than me. My mother and father grew up within the segregated South, and these kinds of jobs weren’t accessible to them. My dad was one of many early Black officers within the Marine Corps, so he was a trailblazer in his personal regard. Quite a lot of what I do is in honor of him.
How does the Faculty of Legislation interact Baltimore’s underserved communities, and the way do you intend to proceed that legacy?
Our regulation faculty is residence to a lot of authorized clinics the place our college students work below the supervision of licensed attorneys to unravel real-life points for our neighbors right here in Baltimore. We have now an Innocence Mission Clinic, a Low Earnings Taxpayer Clinic, a Household Legislation Clinic and an Immigration Clinic. Our clinics are ranked quantity 5 within the nation on U.S. Information World Report.
Our school testify in Annapolis on a wide range of totally different points associated to coverage, like juvenile justice for instance. We’re actually pleased with the truth that we contribute so much to the state of Maryland, and there’s all the time extra that could possibly be accomplished. We’re all the time on the lookout for companions who would possibly be capable of assist us present extra companies to our group.
Whereas the schooling college students obtain from regulation faculty could also be invaluable, it comes with a hefty price ticket. How essential is addressing affordability to you, and the way does the varsity assist to ease the monetary burden on college students?
It’s crucial. Because the nation diversifies and the wealth hole widens, it turns into much more crucial, significantly for our graduates who’re going into jobs that would not have the best salaries. We don’t need college students to be making choices about fulfilling their aspirations and the way they are going to use their regulation diploma primarily based solely on monetary phrases.
We’ve accomplished a reasonably good job of elevating cash for scholarships, and that’s one thing we need to proceed to construct upon. We additionally need to enhance stipends for college kids. Quite a lot of them are literally persevering with to work whereas they’re in regulation faculty. We would like them to have the ability to deal with learning for the bar examination.
As management shifts within the nation, what’s your message to college students about your dedication to supporting them?
At this second in time, legal professionals are going to be wanted greater than ever earlier than. Legal professionals are going to play an essential function in upholding civility and adherence to the rule of regulation and sustaining a society by which folks’s rights are acknowledged.
Our college students are getting a level that could be very highly effective in society. I would like them to really feel empowered by the credential they’re getting and their capability to effectuate change within the nation. A few of the most profound modifications that we’ve seen within the nation had been caused as a result of legal professionals had been concerned. We’re in Baltimore, the house of Thurgood Marshall, and he was central to a lot that we take pleasure in right now.
Our college students ought to discover solace and draw inspiration from the work of so many individuals who got here earlier than them, who confronted what appeared like insurmountable odds. We’ll most likely see makes an attempt to set us again, however individuals who got here earlier than us have confronted these points and overcome them. Our college students can do the identical.
