Third-year NIU College of Law students Jessica Fullilove and Carletta Sanders were recipients of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association (BWLA) of Greater Chicago, Inc. Fall Book Scholarship. The BWLA Scholarship fund endeavors to uplift African American women in the law by providing resources and mentorship to support their legal education and career advancement.
Jessica is a native of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood and is a first-generation law student. During her undergraduate studies, Jessica served as a community organizer in Englewood and as the vice-president of the Black Student Union. She came to law school keen on furthering her commitment to community advocacy by using the law to advocate for the disenfranchised. Jessica is a Peggy Browning Fellow. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA) and is the chair of the Midwestern Region of NBLSA.
Carletta is the Editor-In-Chief of the Midwest Journal of Law and Policy in the Midwest Region of the National Black Law Students Association. She is the founding president of the Business Law Society, immediate past president of the NIU Black Law Students Association, and immediate past vice president of the Gender and Sexualities Alliance. She was the 2020-2021 Embracing Diversity Award Co-Recipient, where she co-led Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity events created for the law school and DeKalb Community. Carletta has dedicated her efforts to increasing the number of first-generation law students to diversify the legal field. As a first-year law student, she self-published her first book titled “Becoming Esquire: A Law School Survival Guide Series” which focuses on the LSAT, application process, networking, and focus on their “why.”
Jessica and Carletta were recognized at the BWLA’s Annual Sips for Scholarships event on February 22, 2022. Sips for Scholarships is a silent auction event geared towards raising funds to award deserving law students the BWLA Fall Book Award Scholarship.
