Law Student Organization Hosts Annual Lavender Lecture
OUTLaws invited Brett V. Ries ’20, J.D., associate at Williams & Connolly LLP, and Zeke Sorensen, director of the LGBT Center at Minnesota State University Mankato, to talk with students about identity and the challenges around LGBTQ advocacy.
“I was so excited about the speakers we were able to bring in for the Lavender Lectures,” said Aiden Mullaney, first-year law student. “These lectures are so important because they open up a platform for conversations about legal issues facing the queer community. It is imperative that young lawyers and aspiring lawyers are not only engaging in conversations about LGBTQ legal issues, but also seeing the very real impact these issues have on queer individuals.”
OUTLaws provides support for the LGBTQ community through advocacy and education at the Knudson School of Law. The organization hosts speakers each semester to discuss issues the community faces and ways students can support each other on campus.
In addition to hosting the Lavender Lecture, OUTLaws hosted a fundraiser in October and decorated ornaments to be displayed on the Equality South Dakota Christmas tree at the state capitol building in Pierre.
“It is important for queer individuals pursuing a career in the law, like me, to see themselves represented in the legal community,” said Mullaney. “I have been so impressed with the work of one of our Lavender Lectures speakers, Brett Reis, in advocating for and demonstrating queer visibility in the legal profession. He inspires me to strive to be an excellent advocate without sacrificing or hiding my queer identity.”
You May Also Like
Training Series to Inform Medical Providers in Providing Quality Care to Sexual Assault Victims
Medical care providers and other professionals who provide care and support to sexual assault victims will have access to a free training series in 2024 through a partnership between the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment and Avera Health’s eSANE Project.
Women in Law Hosts First Female South Dakota Supreme Court Justice, USD Alumna Judith Meierhenry
Earlier this month, the Women in Law organization at the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law hosted former Justice Judith Meierhenry, J.D., the first woman to serve on the South Dakota Supreme Court and notable USD alumna.
International Student Finds Home in KSM Department
Coming to South Dakota from Bangladesh, graduate student Abdullah Al Hossain found a home in the University of South Dakota’s Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management (KSM).
