Finding Their Guide

At first glance, Shelby Morales, a senior at University of Massachusetts-Lowell, thought her court case was impossible to win. But as she prepared for her role as a criminal defense attorney at the mock trial, she began to see how the facts — and the law — could lead her toward a very different mindset.

By the end of Suffolk University Law School's Summer Pre-Law Achievers Network, she was standing in the Law School courtroom arguing for her client's innocence—and understanding exactly why her defense was powerful. This kind of transformation is par for the course when Suffolk Law brings together 19 college students for its intensive two-week pre-law program.

The Summer Pre-Law Achievers Network gathers students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation college students, those from low-income families, and groups underrepresented in the legal profession. The program immerses participants in legal education through coursework, field trips to local courts, meetings with practicing attorneys and judges, and one-on-one sessions with admissions counselors. This summer, in a special trip to Fenway Park, attorneys for the Red Sox shared stories about the fears they faced as they pursued careers in sports law.

The program culminates in a mock trial held in Suffolk's oak-paneled moot courtroom, where students argue a complex drunk driving case before Professor Elizabeth Stillman. Stillman serves as a supportive guide as she prepares the students over two weeks, but during the actual event plays the role of a sometimes-tough judge. This year's court scenario involved a woman found asleep in her parked car with a high blood-alcohol level.

Morales found herself arguing that the defendant wasn’t guilty of operating under the influence—a position that initially felt hard to defend.

The legal complexities were significant: the woman had parked in a gravel area behind a restaurant, away from public signage, and had turned her key only far enough to power her phone.
"When I first read the case, I thought, ‘Wow, this is going to be difficult because I don't agree with the defendant’," Shelby admitted. But as she listened to fellow students present their arguments during the mock trial, something shifted. "It gave me a different perspective. I was thinking to myself: ‘She wasn't operating a vehicle, and she was using the engine just for electricity. So why should we find her guilty?’"

When Professor Stillman pressed her with challenging questions—asking whether the defendant had parked illegally—Shelby felt momentarily trapped. "I was afraid of getting my client into more trouble," she recalled. But watching another student field the same question taught her about courtroom strategy: acknowledging the illegal parking while arguing the defendant "was doing it to be safe."

The program helped Morales see beyond her gut reactions. "It shifted my perspective, and it took me out of the tunnel vision that I had had when I was reading the case the first time."
"I grew up with fear of police, fear of the justice system," she said. Now she wants to help other families navigate the system. "I want to be the person that can hold somebody else's hand when they're in fear or when they have to go to court."

From Late-Night Strategy to a New Career Path

AuJanee’ Billy, who graduated from Michigan State University in 2024, arrived at the program after a year away from school, unsure if she was ready for law school at all. Growing up in Detroit as the second-oldest of nine siblings, she had navigated her brothers and sisters’ individualized education plans (IEPs) while working three jobs. She came to Suffolk knowing she had the grades and experience, she said, but not the confidence.

Over two weeks her self-assuredness grew. Fast-paced classes in legal practice skills and contracts gave her a working familiarity with concepts she hadn’t encountered in her undergraduate criminal justice major. A one-on-one review of her personal statement with Dean of Admissions Anthony Orlando brought praise for her writing that she hadn’t expected. “You’re a great writer. Your structure is great,” he said. And during a visit to the Public Defender’s Office, the education attorney she met offered to serve as a mentor, and Billy left with a clear career direction.

The program also delivered financial-aid knowhow on scholarships that she says she will need to make her plans a reality. “I learned the value of feeling supported,” she said, “and that I can ask for help. No one kept information to themselves here—everyone shared what they knew. That’s what makes me feel ready to take the next step.”

Strategy in the Hot Seat

Luis Perez, Jr., who recently graduated from California Lutheran University, took advantage of Professor Stillman's offer for individual preparation sessions before trial. "I learned that as long as I put my mind to it—give myself the time to prepare, that's the way to go for me," he reflected.

The courtroom setting presented new challenges even for someone comfortable with public speaking. "Although I may be experienced in public speaking when it comes to a research symposium, I am not when it comes to the courtroom," he said. Still, his preparation paid off as he deftly navigated Professor Stillman's challenging questions.

For Perez, the program's value extended beyond individual skill-building to modeling an approach he hopes to share with his three brothers. His philosophy reflects the program's broader impact: "I feel like it's all about setting aside that ego and asking for help and accepting that we don't know everything, and that's actually why we're here."

All three students found the intensive two-week program created connection among the 19 participants. Living together in Suffolk dormitories fostered friendships that have continued in the months that followed.

As Dean Orlando explains, the program’s community-building serves an important mission: diversifying the legal profession. "Access to the legal profession is such a hurdle, in particular for first-generation students," he says. “The program provides tools, mentors, and confidence for navigating both law school applications and the profession itself.”