3L Student Utilizes Strength of “Community” to Break Down Barriers in Law School
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The decision to attend law school was a “calling” for 3L student Austin Perry, who saw the field as a way to touch and influence many different facets of society, and credits UIC Law for exposing him to the versatility of the industry.
Leaning on his personal experiences with growing up in Florida as fuel to progress forward, Perry knew the hardships and challenges that would come with being a Black man in the legal field.
“One thing I learned in the Black community was to not show fear but try to show as much as you can about yourself in the most professional way,” Perry said.
From that moment of realization on, Perry began to establish connections within the law school network. He found community within student organizations like the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), an experience that helped his confidence grow as he began to meet other students with similar ambitions and were smart in the same way.
Perry also utilized the strength of community to combat any feelings of doubt or uncertainty.
“I refused to let myself believe that I was having imposter syndrome. I just continued to work hard and remind myself that I am here for a reason, and that we are here in law school together. We all have the same capabilities; some might get it faster than others, but my time is coming,” he said.
Furthering his access to opportunities afforded to law students in the legal field, Perry began to establish relationships outside of the law school, securing an externship with Appellate Court Justice Carl Walker. Working under the leadership of a Black man in such a powerful position further strengthened Perry’s confidence, admitting that the support he received from that experience helped push him towards being greater and presenting his best self.
The externship not only allowed Perry to sharpen his lawyering skills by writing memos, reading opinions, and proofreading the work of the judge or the law clerks, but Justice Walker also orchestrated collaboration between him another Black male student from the law school.
“Talking to another Black man at the externship helped me realize that we all have the same worries, and once we began to work together, those worries began to go away because he had each other’s back,” Perry said. “That was the biggest lesson I learned from Justice Walker, that we all need to have each other’s back and not try to one-up one another.”
Perry also leaned on the support and teachings from UIC Law faculty to help him further break barriers within the legal field, crediting Professor Arthur Acevedo and Dean Samuel Jones for helping him to realize how much his voice mattered, especially as a Black man.
“Office hours became more than just office hours for me. I used it as a steppingstone to being the greatest version I can be as a person and as a lawyer,” he said.
As Perry looks to close out his law school journey in May 2025, he is very grateful for the experiences and preparation afforded to him by UIC Law.
“We’ve got some big law school names in Chicago, but UIC Law is the best. Not only are we learning practical skills like how to write and negotiate, but I think the most important thing the law school does is keep the community in network. We are always reaching out and building the individuals that come behind us,” Perry said.
Perry also credits UIC Law for helping students become better litigators, better transactional attorneys, and for providing students with “every single tool to be the greatest lawyers we can be.”
“I think you can do everything other law schools are doing here, but with way more support,” he concluded.
Post commencement, Perry hopes to practice Private Equity Law.