Students, Faculty, Alumni Give Back with Annual Re-Entry Fair
04/23/2018
"Welcome! Are you here for the fair?"
"Register to vote! Make your voice heard!"
"Job applications this way. These employers want to hire you!"
Anyone looking for help at the Re-Entry Job and Resource Fair was sure to find it during the event that took place April 6 at Light of the World Christian Church. In its third year, the fair is made possible thanks to the work of the U.S. Department of Justice, and two student groups at IU McKinney: the Second Chance Re-Entry Assistance Program, and the Black Law Students Association. (In the photo at left, Professor Lahny Silva, in the foreground at the far left, talks with law students at the fair.)
IU McKinney 1L Raelynn Chastain learned about the Re-Entry Fair through Professor Lahny Silva's Criminal Law course, and decided to volunteer. "I have loved my experience in Professor Silva's class, so I wanted to see firsthand the impact she makes in the community," Chastain said. "It was a great way for me to get involved at the law school and give back to the people of Indianapolis."
Among the services offered were resume reviews, expungement information and advice, driver's license information, child support, and help with food assistance and health insurance applications. New this year was voter registration services offered during the fair, headed up by Professor Michael Pitts. Students chosen to help with brief service and advice components during the day were required to undergo training, and worked alongside a practicing attorney during the event.
IU McKinney 2L Eden Strange, was part of the voter registration effort at the fair. "I volunteer because I firmly believe that it is critical that aspiring attorneys are connected to the public in which we hope to serve," he said. "Having a grass roots connection with people and learning about what problems they have will allow us to be empathetic and personal attorneys."
A total of 170 students volunteered during the event, and provided help to 341 people looking for resources. Professor Silva and Professor Carrie Hagan are the principal organizers of IU McKinney's efforts toward the fair. (In the photo at right, employers connect with people looking for jobs during the Re-Entry Job and Resource Fair.)
"The fair provided opportunities and a new experience for all involved," Professor Silva said. "Those attending the fair left empowered with new information and new employment prospects. Law students were given the opportunity to engage with the Indianapolis community in a meaningful way. And service providers, employers, and local lawyers experienced a full day of service to the city's disadvantaged."
“It’s a pretty powerful feeling seeing so many students and pro bono lawyers working together in so many capacities," Professor Hagan said. "I’m always proud to be a part of this event, especially when we make it better every year.” (In the photo at left, Professor Carrie Hagan, center, and volunteers talk with someone needing help regarding a driver's license.)
The desire to help the formerly incarcerated is what drives IU McKinney 2L Thomas Buchanan to volunteer. "There are many systemic problems with our criminal justice system that trap people in a vicious cycle from which they cannot escape, even after serving their punishment," Buchanan said. "I saw volunteering at the fair as a way for me to help correct some of those problems, even if it only made a tiny impact."
IU McKinney 1L Dan Wilson, II, echoed that sentiment. "One of the main reasons I wanted to volunteer at the fair has been my experience working with this demographic prior to coming to law school." Wilson said. "Whether it was through my time in service management or recruiting, I came to understand that past offenders are people, too. They just want to survive. The system doesn't offer them very many tools to do so, and largely sets them up to fail. In fact, watching how people took advantage of those without many choices was a big part of the reason I decided to pursue a career change and study the law."
