Students launch Yale Undergraduate Black Pre-Law Association
The organization’s founders told the News that they hope to foster a supportive and inclusive community for those interested in law.
YBPLA
Kalvin Verner ’26, who is hoping to go to law school, wanted to do something about what they perceive to be the lack of a clear path and inclusive community for Yalies with plans of attending law school.
Verner said they felt this to be especially true for Black undergraduates, so they joined forces with Darcy Rodriguez Ovalles ’26 to establish the Yale Undergraduate Black Pre-Law Association in the fall.
“The YBPLA was formed to bridge the gap between students and the wealth of resources provided by Yale College as well as Yale Law School,” Verner explained.
Despite being young, YBPLA has hit the ground running, hosting workshops and informational events, including a session with the Marshall Motley Scholars Program at the Legal Defense Fund, an organization that aims to provide Black students with full rides to the top law schools in the country.
As an affiliated group of the Afro-American Cultural Center, YBPLA assisted them in sponsoring a panel on “Black Yalies in Law,” earlier this year and has already partnered with other Black pre-professional groups like the National Society of Black Engineers.
“YBPLA occupies an important space on campus because there is still so much work to do to increase the representation of Black attorneys,” Farrah Muhammad ’27, the group’s first-year liaison, told the News. “YBPLA breaks down some of these barriers by creating a community where Black pre-law students are at the forefront. This space allows us to address relevant issues such as navigating the legal field as a minority.”
The organization’s first general meeting was held in December. The meeting was held for club members to discuss their overarching goals and to “connect and exchange ideas with new members to create a supportive network for aspiring Black legal professionals,” according to YBPLA’s official website, which launched on Jan. 31.
The YBPLA board is currently made up of nine members ranging from first years to juniors, all of whom have a variety of backgrounds, legal interests and majors. Something they all share, YBPLA members told the News, is the desire to build true community and camaraderie between Black pre-law students.
On Jan. 29, the group hosted an event on legal career advice in collaboration with the Office of Career Strategies and is continuing to create opportunities for minority pre-law students to immerse themselves in the field, according to YBPLA leaders.
The organization is not Yale’s first attempt at a Black Pre-Law Association. In March 2015, the Afro-American Cultural Center announced the founding of the YBPLA’s first iteration, though there is little record of the events the original group hosted online. The News was not able to confirm when the original group dismantled.
This time around, Michaell Santos Paulino ’26, the group’s communication chair, told the News that YBPLA’s biggest goal is to “get our name around campus.” Paulino also said the group is hoping to have every Black pre-law student attend one of their events.
YBPLA can be found on Instagram at @ybpla.