The NIU College of Law Alumni Council is spearheading a fundraising campaign with the NIU Foundation’s new crowdfunding program. The program, which launched today and runs through May 3, will be used to help raise funds for NIU Law Bar Prep Scholarships. The Alumni Council hopes to achieve its worthy goal of $7,500 to provide at least three Bar Prep Scholarships for current students that would allow the recipients to devote their time to much-needed study for the exam.
Alumni Council President Omar Salguero (’12) graduated nine years ago and is excited about the opportunity to pay it forward. “Our dreams get accomplished by taking all the necessary steps each day. NIU Law students are not only dreaming about becoming excellent lawyers, but they are also taking all the necessary steps towards that goal. I am strongly encouraging all of our alums and friends to help us reach our goal!” he said.
Other NIU Law Alumni Council members on the Crowdfunding Campaign Committee include First Vice President Jay Wiegman (’92), Second Vice President Rachel Hernandez (’05), Secretary Diane Elliott (’05), and members Brandon Ayers (‘13) and Alejandro Cuautli (’17). The Committee has worked hard over the past couple of months to pull everything together and are thrilled to help contribute towards the success of students that are following in their footsteps to become attorneys.
The bar exam is the last major hurdle that students will face in order to become licensed practicing attorneys. “We know that most students will pass the bar exam if they have some additional financial support,” said NIU Law Dean Cassandra L. Hill.
“Although having a higher passage rate on the bar exam is a win-win for both our law school and our students, we ultimately want our graduates to pass the bar so they can fulfill their dreams and help serve their communities as practicing lawyers in both the private and public sector,” Dean Hill added.
Jennifer Neilsen from the Class of 2019 was one of the recent Bar Prep Scholarship recipients who benefitted from the support. “I am so grateful having received the Bar Prep Scholarship. Instead of working and taking on more debt, I was able to focus solely on preparing for the bar exam. Because of the freedom to spend the summer studying, I passed on my first try!”
The NIU College of Law is extremely grateful for the generosity of everyone who supports the school and especially the students. Help us reach our goal of $7,500 so that we can provide at least another three Bar Prep Scholarships for students. The more we raise, the more scholarships we can give!
