Part Time Evening Student Combines Construction Engineering with Legal Education to Build Chicago Community Landmark
Joshua Gregory Feature
Joshua Gregory, a first-year part-time evening student and construction engineer, utilized his expertise and legal education to collaborate on the completion of the Obama Athletic Center.
Gregory’s path to law school was shaped by an interest in civil rights and advocacy, inspired by figures such as Johnny Cochran and Benjamin Crump. Those interests stayed with him as he established a career in construction, particularly as he saw firsthand how few minority-owned firms and attorneys operate in the construction law space.
Through the SCALES program, Gregory entered law school with crucial foundational knowledge and a built-in network of peers which helped him adjust quickly to the academic demands of his first semester. The flexibility of UIC Law’s part-time evening program made it possible for him to pursue his legal education without stepping away from his career or family responsibilities.
Gregory completed his first semester and made the Dean’s List while working demanding hours and supporting a growing family.
“I have a wife, I have a kid, and I needed to keep working,” Gregory said. “The evening program made law school possible for me and SCALES gave me a leg-up…Some days were 12+ hour days; but finishing my first semester so strong and helping build a major landmark from the ground-up was really rewarding.”
Looking ahead, Gregory hopes to go into litigation, acknowledging that “there’s already such a small percentage of people who own their own firms, and an even smaller number of attorneys who understand the industry and look like me.” He also hopes to utilize his legal education through professional work and pro bono service and mentor the next generation of law students, particularly those who may not see themselves reflected in traditional legal spaces.
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The Obama Athletic Center is scheduled to open later in the year. Envisioned as a space that extends President Barack Obama’s legacy beyond the presidency, the center will provide programming that supports education, leadership, and physical activity for young people and families in the surrounding neighborhoods.