KU Leads Unites Current and Former Student-Athletes During Law Career Communities Night

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Current Kansas student-athletes with an interest in law or public affairs had a chance to connect with former student-athletes and current faculty members in the third series of KU’s Career Communities initiative Monday night. A panel of five former student-athletes and faculty members answered questions and shared their experiences studying law and their thoughts on attending law school during the hour-long session.

“The most powerful advanced degree you can have is a law degree,” argued Suzanne Valdez, Clinical Professor and Director of the Criminal Prosecution Clinic in the KU School of Law.

Current Jayhawk student-athletes took turns asking questions of the panel. All-Big 12 and Academic All-Big 12 track & field athlete Rhavean King, who plans to attend Law school upon graduation, took home some encouraging news from the panel.

“Those who have gone through an athletic program have interacted with a unique and interesting set of people, which prepares you well for a career in law,” Quinton D. Lucas, Associate Professor of Law at KU, said.
Former KU Soccer standout Cassie Dickerson, another panelist, agreed.

“Law school and being a student-athlete are a lot alike in that you must be driven to succeed, which makes student-athletes such great candidates for law school,” Dickerson said. 

Valdez summed up the night and sent the student-athletes home with the message that law forces you to become better at every aspect of your life.

Kansas Athletics, through KU Leads – it’s student-athlete development wing – has also hosted career panels with engineering and journalism students in recent weeks. 

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