Students at Widener University Commonwealth Law School launch professional closet

The Spark

Widener University Commonwealth Law School is launching a professional closet, a donation-based initiative providing free professional attire to law students.

The initiative was launched by students involved in Phi Alpha Delta. The students realized other schools had professional closets, and it was something they needed too. So students reached out to the Dean of Career Advising to get it started.

“She was very gracious that we were going to actually put it into form. So she advised us, you know, start reaching out to maybe like other, you know, the local bar association and just other outlets that maybe we can get donations from to go beyond just Weidner itself. So we took it from there and it's been really exciting to see it, you know, now coming to the ribbon cutting and kind of how it's built the community, “said Kira Meager, student at Widener university Commonwealth Law School.

This initiative is especially significant as 90% of our 2024 entering class are first-generation law school students, and 32% are first-generation college graduates. With 170 incoming students, this resource will ensure that students have access to the professional attire they need for interviews, external external events, and networking events.

“You know, when we initially came up with this idea, I mean, we kind of understood that so many of our professors make it clear that professional attire is a requirement of the profession. Whether you're in a courtroom, you're in an office. When you're whether you're arbitrating, I mean, a lawyer has to represent this kind of like position of being official and representing the law and in a respectful manner. And I think when it came to us with this idea, you just said, you know, not everybody has the means off the bat to have like a suit or a nice dress for these kind of things. But everyone is capable of it if they're given those tools. That's what we can provide. The students of the Commonwealth that don't have that, “said McFadden.

Donations of gently used professional clothing can be dropped off at the Student Organization Building on-campus or at the Dauphin County Bar Association located at 213 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.

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