Graduating Student takes Incremental Approach to becoming a Lawyer

Alexis Hurd had thought about becoming a lawyer while earning her undergraduate degrees and had interviewed a couple of her professors who had law degrees. "(They said) it's a big commitment," Hurd recalled. "That you want to make sure you are ready for it."

So, instead of enrolling in law school immediately after graduation, she found work as a paralegal for a law firm in Raleigh.

Her more incremental approach was also due to a lack of role models in the legal field.

"I hardly knew any attorneys or judges, but the ones I did know were white men," Hurd recalled. "I did not know any females of color who were attorneys so it was hard for me to envision that for myself."

While she had previously worked summers, being a paralegal was Hurd's first 'adult' job.

"It was probably the hardest job I had starting out," Hurd said. "There was a huge learning curve. During the job interview, I asked the lawyer what was the hardest part of the job. He said, 'not messing up.'"

She worked during the day and took paralegal certification classes in the evening. After three years, Hurd was ready.

Mother and Daughter earn Undergraduate Degrees Together

Hurd grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Her father was a U.S. Marine who was gone a good chunk of her childhood, having been deployed multiple times in Iraq, Afghanistan and Japan.

"Some people thought my mother was a single parent," Hurd said. "My mom had to take care of everything. I was sent off to soccer practice and games with friends while my mom would take care of my younger siblings."

Hurd's mother worked as a guidance counselor secretary in her high school. When it came time to apply to college, Hurd's mother assisted by notifying her of scholarships she saw and figuring out what to put on her daughter's resume.

"She didn't know about the college application process so we were learning it together," Hurd said.

Hurd began playing soccer at age five. She was good enough to receive a soccer scholarship for half of her tuition at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where she played all four years while earning degrees in criminal justice and sociology.

Hurd's mother, who had earned an associate degree, was so inspired by her daughter that she decided to also complete a bachelor's degree at UNC-Pembroke. So, she enrolled online and both mother and daughter completed their degrees in May 2018.

"She walked the stage with me when I graduated," Hurd said.

Her mother, incidentally, now works as a guidance counselor in a trades program at a community college.

Roles Models and Next Steps

After earning her bachelor degrees, Hurd applied to four law schools and chose the North Carolina Central University School of Law.

"Central was kind of similar to Pembroke," she said. "The class sizes are smaller. The teachers are more relatable and treat you as a person, not a number."

It wasn't an easy degree. During her first two years, she studied 8 to 14 hours per day. Law school also required a different mindset.

"Law school teaches you to think in a completely different way," Hurd said. "Not making assumptions. Always asking questions and thinking of all the outcomes that could happen in a certain situation. The big misconception is that (students) are learning a lot of law. (Actually), you are learning to think like an attorney."

Beyond earning a juris doctor degree at NCCU School of Law, Hurd also gained role models in the legal field.

"I see wonderful and intelligent persons of color doing their part in the legal field," Hurd said.

After her May 4 graduation, Hurd plans to take one week off before she begins studying for the bar exam in July.

She plans to accept an offer of employment prior to graduation and will join a law firm upon completion of the bar exam.

Hurd would like to practice corporate and business law, which she did while working as a paralegal.

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