On Thursday, the Center for the Study of Ethnicity & Race Studies hosted a panel discussing the application of ethnic studies to pre-law students.

On February 13, Columbia’s Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race Studies hosted a panel discussion featuring legal experts Elizabeth Oyoun, Mavis Fowler Williams, Jack Ruiz, and Amber Baylor. The event delved into topics such as civil rights, intellectual property law, and the role of law in social change.

Elizabeth Oyoun, a civil rights attorney with 30 years of experience, discussed her work in areas including voting rights, immigration, workplace discrimination, media accountability, and combating hate crimes and police brutality. Appointed by President Clinton as Special Assistant to the US Commission on Civil Rights, Oyoun has taught over 500 students at Columbia and New York University in the past 15 years. She emphasized the innate connection between academic learning and real-world issues, stating, “What we learn in this center is intrinsically related to what’s happening in the world right now.” Oyoun also highlighted her students’ active involvement with DACA recipients and migrants, underscoring the practical application of their education.

Mavis Fowler Williams, a leader in intellectual property and technology law, shared insights from her experience in a wide array of intellectual property agreements for entertainment and finance industries. As a registered patent attorney and lecturer at Columbia Law School, Williams emphasized the importance of embracing one’s identity in the legal field, remarking, “Sometimes being who you are gleefully makes quite the statement.”

Jack Ruiz CC’19 CLS ‘25, a third-year law student and first-generation college graduate, encouraged peers to think beyond traditional frameworks. Reflecting on his journey from Columbia College graduate in 2019 to current law student, Ruiz advised, “The spirit you have—never lose that because we need that.”

Amber Baylor, director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at Columbia Law School, focuses on defense representation in local criminal charges. Her work centers on local criminal regulation and its impacts on communities targeted by intensive policing. Baylor’s scholarship includes topics such as criminalized students, reparations, and the limits of reform in municipal criminal regulation.

During the Q&A session, panelists addressed questions on the relationship between law and social change, daily life in social justice law, and overcoming obstacles as students from low-income backgrounds. The theme among all answers was resilience and belief in yourself. Jack Ruiz remarked, “Trust yourself, figure out your needs, and there are so many ways to help your community and help yourself, hold space for yourself and don’t lose sight of your visions.”

The event concluded with a call to action for aspiring legal professionals to leverage their knowledge and skills in pursuit of equity and justice across all aspects of life. 

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