Law Schools

Recent Law School Graduate Clinches Title Of Miss USA

She wasn't afraid to let her stance on women's rights be known throughout the competition.

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Cheslie Kryst (Screenshot via YouTube)

It’s not everyday that a recent law school graduate wins a national title, but that just happened to Cheslie Kryst, a 2017 graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law. Last night, Kryst, a second-year associate at Poyner Spruill, a mid-sized firm in North Carolina, was crowned as the 2019 Miss USA during the 68th Miss USA pageant held in Reno, Nevada.

Kryst, who works to reduce prison inmates’ sentences pro bono during her free time, was not afraid to let her stance on women’s rights be known throughout the competition. When asked whether she thought the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements had gone too far, she said, “I don’t think these movements have gone too far. What #MeToo and #TimesUp are about are making sure that we foster safe and inclusive workplaces in our country. As an attorney, that’s exactly what I want to hear and that’s exactly what I want for this country. I think they’re good movements.”

Here are some additional details from USA Today:

She said during the final round that she was glad to be competing in Nevada partly because it’s the first and only state in the nation with female majorities in both houses of the state legislature.

Earlier, she told a story of how she’ll never forget the time a judge at a law conference told her to wear a skirt instead of pants because judges prefer skirts. She said her colleagues at her law firm back home in North Carolina were having a watch-party Thursday night to see how she did on television.

“Glass ceilings can be broken wearing either a skirt or pants,” Kryst said.

Congratulations to Cheslie Kryst! Best of luck in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant!

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North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst takes the Miss USA crown [USA Today]
The new Miss USA is a North Carolina lawyer who works on behalf of prison inmates [CNN]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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