Who is a "Minority?"
The term "minority" itself is often misunderstood, because of the presumption that it only refers to those students who are non-white. However, according to statistics provided by Catalyst, a non-profit research and advisory organization, and demographic numbers in the NALP Directory, the numbers indicate that professionally, there are several underrepresented groups considered "minorities." For example, women, although they represent over half of the law students in school, currently comprise only 15.6 percent of law firm partners and 13.7 percent of Fortune 500 general counsels. In New York City, of the 261 firms listed, less than 10 percent of the attorneys currently working are African-American, Hispanic, Asian, American-Indian, disabled, or openly gay. While these numbers demonstrate an improvement when compared to those of the past, there is still a lot more change needed.

In order to forge ahead, it is essential for all individuals to recognize that a "minority," especially in a professional school, can be any individual who belongs to a group that is underrepresented. It is equally important for these same individuals to recognize that change can occur only by a collective effort of all groups.

Recognize the Value of Networking Early
Although the working world will seem light years away at the beginning of law school, the reality is that everyone you meet is a potential contact that will be of benefit in the future. Joining various student-run organizations is an easy way of meeting many people. Of course, after hearing nightmare inducing stories about the first-year workload, it seems impossible to even contemplate taking on more work by joining an organization. Ignore the inclination to bury your head in the books. Student organizations, as a whole, can serve as the single-most important extracurricular activity of your first year.

The Benefits of Student Organizations
In addition to providing access to older and wiser students who have "been there and done that," student organizations offer a support network of people who have similar interests and/or backgrounds. When employers or scholarship donors are looking to target a specific group of people, the easiest way to get the word out is by contacting the specific student group. Also, because these organizations are student-run and the demands of first-year are well known, many student groups offer free services such as books, tutoring and mentoring designed to help you survive the transition to law school. Additionally, most student organizations are subsets of national organizations, which stretch your network of resources and support even further.

A few specific organizations to look for on your campus are law student associations (LSAs). A few examples are the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Latin-American Law Students Association (LALSA), Asian-Pacific Law Students Association (APALSA) and Gay and Lesbian Law Association (GALLA). Additionally, there are usually school-specific religious and women's groups.

Professional Associations
Another valuable resource is the area bar association. Once again, while the bar exam is probably the furthest thing away from the minds of first year students, the local bar association can be a great resource. If used correctly, it can provide lots of information pertinent to law students. Similar to student groups, your local bar association is attuned to the issues facing the various segments of the law school population, and will usually offer programs specifically to address those issues. The New York Bar Association, for example, encompasses the main umbrella association along with smaller groups that cater to women attorneys, multi-cultural attorneys, and attorneys with children to name a few.

Also, because the bar association memberships are usually comprised of practicing attorneys and law professionals, there are many opportunities to meet people who are ready, willing and in a position to offer career advice.

Whatever law school you choose to attend and whichever groups you join, it is important not to limit yourself. One of the problems these groups have is getting non- members to attend events of interest. All students need to get past the concept that simply because an event is sponsored by a group with which you do not immediately identify, does not mean that the topic will not be interesting or pertinent to you. The issues that affect one group of the law school community, in some way, affects all the groups.

Alternatively, as a member of a student organization, there is often a tendency to stay within the newfound comfort zone. As with life, there is no net benefit from remaining in a homogeneous grouping of people. Getting to know all of your fellow classmates as individuals will help not only to develop meaningful friendships, but it will also serve as a model for forming beneficial relationships, personal and professional, down the line.