Minority Women Pursuing Law (MWPL)

As we near Thanksgiving break, we are excited to share a recap of our semester’s achievements. MWPL has hosted 49 events so far! Here’s a look at some of the key events we hosted this semester: Baylor University School of Law In-Person Tour  Dress the Part Workshop  Linkedin and Resume Building Workshop  J.Sparks Law Firm Tour  Induction Ceremony for Fall 2024 New Members In addition, MWPL has had the honor of hosting four engagements with incredible speakers who are Minority Women attorneys pioneering empowerment and equality in their respective fields of law. Thank you to Judge Dimple Malhotra, Mechele Dickerson and Linda Garza for speaking with MWPL! We are so proud of all that MWPL has accomplished this semester, and we are excited for what’s to come after the break. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported us along the way. MWPL’s mission continues to grow, thanks to the support of our dedicated members, speakers, and the community.

As we near Thanksgiving break, we are excited to share a recap of our semester’s achievements. MWPL has hosted 49 events so far! Here’s a look at some of the key events we hosted this semester: Baylor University School of Law In-Person Tour  Dress the Part Workshop  Linkedin and Resume Building Workshop  J.Sparks Law Firm Tour  Induction Ceremony for Fall 2024 New Members In addition, MWPL has had the honor of hosting four engagements with incredible speakers who are Minority Women attorneys pioneering empowerment and equality in their respective fields of law. Thank you to Judge Dimple Malhotra, Mechele Dickerson and Linda Garza for speaking with MWPL! We are so proud of all that MWPL has accomplished this semester, and we are excited for what’s to come after the break. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported us along the way. MWPL’s mission continues to grow, thanks to the support of our dedicated members, speakers, and the community.

We are thrilled to announce our organization has reached a milestone of 411 incredible members this year! This is a truly record-breaking year for our organization, marking a new chapter in our journey to empower minority women pursuing a career in the legal field. We had a fantastic time at our recent Info sessions, connecting with brilliant women and highlighting our mission to foster mentorship, service, and professional development. Our thriving community inspires us, and we couldn't be prouder of what we're accomplishing together. Thank you to Firdous Khezrian, Jasmine Vega, Hannah Garza, Ariel Hernandez, and Melanie Garza for gracefully leading our organization through recruitment season. Minority Women Pursuing Law is not just an organization, it's a movement. We are dedicated to continue breaking records and barriers in law! #MWPL #UTAustin #Minoritywomeninlaw #UTpre-law 

We are thrilled to introduce our 2024-2025 Executive Board! This dedicated and trailblazing group of women are passionately committed to creating a supportive environment to ensure the next generation of leaders in law are championed at The University of Texas at Austin. After another record-breaking semester, our organization has grown to 340+ members. Our Executive Board has prepared exciting new professional workshops, speakers, and networking events to fulfill MWPL’s mission to drive change, expand resources, and empower the Texas pre-law community of minority women. Together, we can ensure diversity in the legal environment is not just celebrated but achieved. #MWPL #utaustin #minoritywomen #womenvoices #pre-law

Our last networking event of this academic year was an Entertainment Attorney Panel event facilitated by our Professional Development Director, Firdous Khezrian, at The University of Texas School of Law. Thank you so much to attorneys Marguerite Zamora, Amy E. Mitchell, and Heather VanDyke who so generously contributed their wisdom and time to educate our community about the workings of the entertainment legal field. We are so grateful to have received your guidance about our personal and professional lives as women seeking to enter the field of law. Additionally, thank you to Sarah Welbes at UT Law who diligently worked with Firdous to develop this panel. We are so appreciative of your kindness and support. Special thank you to Dr. Alisa Perren who continuously generously offers her resources and support to aid in the expansion of our pre-law community's knowledge of the entertainment legal field. 

MWPL hosted our semesterly Professional Clothing Drive, an event that provides our members with access to professional clothing, so that they may walk into spaces while pursuing a career in law with confidence. Together, our President, Kirsten Padilla, Vice President, Emma Guan, Professional Development Director, Firdous Khezrian, and our Secretary, Katya Lopez, worked to collect clothes from the professional legal community across the state. With the support of these professionals, we were able to provide professional clothes, accessories, shoes, and purses to over 260 of our members. Thank you to attorneys and staff at Jackson Walker LLP. A special thank you goes to Sarahgail Ledgister and Kaitlyn Trei. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to attorneys at Botkin Chiarello Calaf, and to Karin Crump, Gabrielle C. Smith, Mignon McGarry, and Angela McEntire Sanford. We are eternally grateful to this incredible community for the guidance and support across all of our endeavors.

In preparation for our semesterly professional clothing drive our Professional Development Director, Firdous Khezrian, hosted a workshop titled, "Dress the Part" which provided a detailed outline of guidelines for dressing professionally. MWPL members got to ask questions about where to shop for clothes, what items qualify as professional wardrobe staples, and even what constitutes professional make up looks. At the end of the presentation, our members worked together to make Pinterest boards with their newfound inspiration for the outfits they would like to wear as they enter the professional legal field. #mwpl #utaustin #prelaw #professionaldevelopment

Last week our Professional Development Director, Firdous Khezrian, spoke with Kamil Q. B. in our event titled, "Pre-Law Tips for Becoming a More Competitive Applicant." Firdous and Kamil spoke with 80 of our members in this guest speaker event where students had the opportunity to learn about the ways in which they can best prepare their law school applications. This is Kamil's second semester speaking to Minority Women Pursuing Law (MWPL), and we are honored to have his continued support. Thank you Kamil for sharing your wisdom and guidance! Our community of pre-law students feels so much more empowered as they embark on their journeys of pursuing a career in law. #prelaw #utaustin #mwpl #minortywomen #lawschool #lawschoolapplications 

Last Saturday MWPL went to Casa Marianella to volunteer their time and learn more about their cause to further their mission of aiding asylum seekers through the convoluted and politicized immigration system. At Casa Mariella, we learned about the world refugee crisis and met countless people who have found a safe community at Casa Marianella. We met a member who was a former teacher at a girls school in Afghanistan and taught Biology and Physics, who stressed the importance of education to us. We also met a member who escaped military rule in Eritrea and travelled through over 10 countries to get to the United States. Their stories were inspiring and filled with heartfelt compassion. Through our volunteering initiative, MWPL was able to support the non-profit by painting an outdoor space and sorting through donations. MWPL is honored to aid in any of the efforts of Casa Marianella and want to take time to deeply thank them for their service. Special thanks to our Volunteering and Service Events Coordinator, Anushka R., and Casa Marianella's Executive Director, Jennifer Long, who helped put this event together.  #mwpl #volunteer #utaustin #prelaw #donations #philanthropy

Minority Women Pursuing Law is back for the spring 2024 semester! MWPL has grown to hold a community of over 250 members this semester. We are extraordinarily proud of the ways in which we have strengthened our professional community of pre-law students at The University of Texas at Austin. From events such a guest speaker engagement with an attorney we admire, Parisa Fatehi-Weeks, to a LinkedIn and Resume Building workshop, our members have strengthened their professional portfolios to become leaders across sectors of the legal field. Additionally, our socials and student-member mentorship program events have strengthened our community of women by building relationships that will last life times. We look forward to another productive and prosperous semester! #prelaw #utaustin #linkedin #professionaldevelopment #undergraduate