Another Law School's Law Review Appoints Its First Black Editor-In-Chief In History

What is your law school doing to encourage diversity on its law review?

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There is a lot of pressure that comes with being the first in anything because people see you as a role model. They wonder if you’ll fall into a certain stereotype or be better or worse than your predecessors. Most of all, you must do your best, more for those coming behind you than for yourself. Because the reality is — if you don’t knock it out of the park — that “failure” becomes a stigma and follows everyone who looks like you. That’s a weighty but exciting opportunity.

This is an opportunity for us to leave our footprint, our chance to do things a bit differently, a bit better… to shake things up a bit. Our school has a rich and impressive history; our alumni are Texas Supreme Court justices, judges, U.S. and district attorneys, and presidents of state and local bar associations, to name a few. Our Law Review should reflect that same culture; it should be a leading resource for the legal community. It is not enough to be on Law Review — we have to increase our presence, open doors for all the law students who follow our stead as the esteemed South Texas Law Review.

Kenesha Starling, a second-year student at South Texas College of Law Houston, commenting on her recent election as the first black editor-in-chief of the South Texas Law Review since the school’s founding in 1923.


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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