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Do you identify as BIPOC? Are you a first generation college student or economically underprivileged? Do you wonder whether your values are consistent with the values underlying the legal system, law school, and higher education generally? Are you worried that you will feel out of place at the law school because of your identity? Are you troubled by “objective” discussions of justice that ignore or avoid addressing race and class?

Then join us for RISE—the Race-Informed Study Experience. RISE is a group centered around the experiences of marginalized students. We will work on skills that underprivileged students need to develop to succeed as law students and lawyers. We will also explore areas of the law involving race and class left undiscussed in the law school classroom .

We begin our sessions from a basic assumption: the current system of law is a white, elitist institution, designed and used to disempower people of color and those with low incomes, and to concentrate power amongst the privileged class. Using this lens, we will discuss and reconsider the cases and concepts you are studying in class in a way that centers the experiences of the underrepresented.

Together, we will practice values-affirmation, code switching, navigating a predominantly white institution, and pushing back on racist and classist premises in the law. We will cultivate a space for students to address their concerns and struggles and build a supportive network for those of us who do not come from privileged backgrounds.

Join us to form a strong community within the law school that is ready to RISE to the challenges for future advocates.

ALL ARE WELCOME! ! To join, sign up for our listserv here. This will be the best way for us to get in touch with you regarding our sessions and one-on-one office hours.

We will be holding our first RISE session during Orientation Week, on Friday, September 2nd at 12:15pm in ROOM 3, during your lunch hour. We will provide lunch for attendees and spend time learning about each other and the program. Please join us during your free lunch hour!

Best,

Your RISE Student Instructors

Anika Reza, 3L reza0058@umn.edu

Selma El-Badawi, 2L elbad007@umn.edu

Julian Roby, 2L robyx031@umn.edu