Felicia Kemp: President of the Latino/a Law Student Association (LaLSA) at Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, NY

Jen Woods

<<In addition to being someone her friends, family, and clients can count on, Kemp said she wants to serve as a role model for aspiring lawyers. "Females and Latinos are minorities in the field, and youth need more examples and mentors to show them that they, too, can do it," she explained.

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Therefore, Kemp joined Hofstra's Latino/a Law Student Association (LaLSA), which strives to create a family environment for Latino students. She decided to get involved with the group after attending Hofstra's second annual Diversity Welcome Week for first-year law students. "I knew this was a network of friends I would have [from] here on out," said Kemp, who is now President of LaLSA.

LaLSA works to improve the school environment for Latino law students and creates partnerships within the Latino community regarding legal issues, Kemp said. "We recognize that all students are in it together as we struggle through law school, and LaLSA welcomes anyone interested in our activities to take part," she said.

As President of the association, Kemp is responsible for creating and implementing programs, as well as for supporting the executive board officers and class representatives. "My job is to act as a mentor for other students and find resources to bring opportunities to the student body," she said.

<<Kemp is also involved with the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the Journal of International Business and Law. Kemp said she believes her involvement in student groups is an investment in the future.

"These students are our colleagues now and in the future. By being involved, your network of mutual support expands. Through these organizations, your experience and exposure in law grows, as well," she said.

Internships have been another essential component of Kemp's education. "In the spring of 2006, I was selected as a New York State Bar Kenneth G. Standard Intern to work at Goldman Sachs in the contracts, privacy, and intellectual property department," she said. While working at the firm, Kemp gained insight into the worlds of banking, in-house counsel, and intellectual property law.

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Many individuals have also played influential roles in Kemp's education. Her husband, family, and friends offered her support and encouragement as she began her law school career. "Since starting law school, that group has grown to include Hofstra's Vice Dean of Multicultural Affairs, professors, internship managers, and the founder of Hofstra LaLSA and her staff. They each have been there to expand my knowledge of the legal field and provide strength and guidance," she said.

Kemp is especially thankful to have LaLSA founder Sallie Manzanet as a mentor. "She took me under her wing," Kemp said. Manzanet, a Supreme Court Justice for Bronx County, provided Kemp with her first exposure to law.

Studying law is challenging, Kemp admits, because not only does it affect everything, but it is also evolving constantly. "I believe in being a lifelong learner, and this field provides the opportunity to always learn and grow," said Kemp, who has been named a Dean's Scholar for academic excellence.

Kemp's favorite class so far has been "Business Organizations." "I enjoy learning more about the necessities of business formation and implementation," said Kemp, who earned a B.S. in Business Administration.

Overcoming the challenges of law school has been a very rewarding experience, Kemp said. In fact, her favorite school memory is of going out to lunch with her study group after the last final at the end of her first year. "No matter what our grades turned out to be, we had done it. We proved to ourselves that we could make it," she said.

<<Kemp is still trying to decide what area of the law she wants to practice in. "My interests continue to be widespread. I love learning about corporate law, and after my experience at Goldman Sachs, I've always had a love for learning more about other places. So anything that touches international law is particularly enticing," she said. Kemp is also interested in learning about the practice area of project finance in Latin American firms, she added.

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Next summer, Kemp plans to intern at New York law firm Shearman & Sterling. "I get to live my dream of being an NYC lawyer," said Kemp, who is originally from Texas.