HL 038: Founder Evangeline Mitchell Discusses The National HBCU Pre-Law Summit

Aspiring lawyers will have the opportunity to network with pre-law peers, law students, law school administrators, and seasoned lawyers at the National HBCU Pre-Law Summit September 23 and 24 in Atlanta. Founder and executive director of the summit, Evangeline Mitchell, joined the HBCU Lifestyle Podcast to discuss the event which is in its third year. The National HBCU Pre-Law Summit, which is free of charge, is the only major national conference of its kind geared specifically to aspiring black lawyers who are students and alumni of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).  It addresses the unique issues, concerns and challenges that this special group of law school aspirants face.

About today’s guest

Evangeline Mitchell, Esq. graduated magna cum laude from Prairie View A&M and went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law where she was a member of the Iowa Law Review. There, she also studied international and comparative law abroad with the University of Iowa Bordeaux Summer Program and participated in the London Law Consortium Semester Study Abroad Program as well as their British Legal Externship Program. Additionally, she earned her M.Ed. With a concentration in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. Evangeline worked for the Harvard University National Campus Diversity Project and the Harvard Medical School Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs.

Seeing a great need, Evangeline created the “Black Pre-Law” brand of accessible educational resources, events, and initiatives geared to empowering black pre-law students to become competitive law school applicants and students. Those resources include written and/or edited and published books including The African American Pre-Law School Advice Guide, Profiles & Essays of Successful African American Law School Applicants, The African American Law School Survival Guide, and Conquering the Bar Exam. All of her books are provided free of charge or at nominal cost.  She is currently working on two compilation books including Lessons from 100 Black Lawyers and African Americans and the Law School Experience.  Also, Evangeline founded the award-winning National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair (Houston, Texas and New York, New York), the National Diversity Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair (Washington, DC), the National Hispanic Pre-Law Conference, the Joint National Black and Hispanic Pre-Law Conference, the National Black Pre-Law Network, HBCUPreLaw.org, among other initiatives.  She is currently the founder and executive director of National Pre-Law Diversity Initiatives, Inc., a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable and educational organization focused on connecting diverse aspiring lawyers to game-changing information, resources and networking opportunities to help them become more excellent, competitive and strategic law school applicants, law students and lawyers – as well as conscientious leaders and community servants. Further, a budding filmmaker and producer, her video and film media projects in the works include the documentary series “African Americans and the Law School Experience” and The Black Lawyers Legacy Project.

For her groundbreaking pipeline efforts in working to provide greater access to legal education, Evangeline received the National Black MBA Association Houston Chapter’s Leadership Empowerment Award in Law. She also received two Congressional recognitions from Sheila Jackson Lee, numerous Congressional letters of support/commendations, the National Black Law Students Association’s Sadie T.M. Alexander Award, the Houston Lawyers Association’s Roberson L. King Excellence in Education Award, and the National Bar Association’s Nation’s Best Advocates 40 Under 40 Award. Lastly, Evangeline was also recognized twice in Who’s Who in Black Houston and received the d-mars.com Business Journal’s Top 50 Black Attorneys of Houston “Trail Blazer” Award.  Evangeline’s work in trying to provide opportunity to underrepresented minorities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds is her calling, life’s work, passion and a sacrificial labor of love – and no one else in the country is doing it in the way she is – at the grassroots level, with a servant leader spirit and high standard of excellence, and at no cost to those she is serving.  She sees it as a social responsibility and undying desire to see others in our community succeed – which she believes the HBCU experience encourages.

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Episode Sponsor

• This podcast is brought to you by the HBCU College Tours Initiative – a partnership between HBCU Lifestyle and Stepping In The Right Direction. HBCU college tours are one of the best ways for college-bound high school students to witness the black college experience first-hand. HBCU College Tours has teamed up with Stepping in the Right Direction to just that. Visit hbculifestyle.com/tours for upcoming black college tours.