Keely Smith

Undergraduate: Jacksonville State University, 2019 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a  minor in Business Administration

Law School: Mississippi College School of Law, 2022

Current Employer: Foxtrot Family Law located in Huntsville, Alabama. At Foxtrot, we work to help mothers, fathers, grandparents, and other caring relatives stand up for themselves in child custody cases, divorce cases, adoption cases, and DHR cases. 

Courses that helped prepare me for law school: Any "(blank) law" class. Most of these classes were not a part of my political science major. For example, I took a business law class and a communication law class which helped with law school by becoming familiar with case law and written opinions. I also took PSC 493 The Judicial Process and PSC 442 Legal Reasoning and Theory with Judge Brian Howell. The Judicial Process class provided me with the opportunity to observe real courtroom experiences. I also did an internship with Judge Howell at the Calhoun County Circuit Court, which I felt gave me an advantage in law school, as several of my classmates had never even stepped foot in a courtroom before. 

JSU Involvement: I participated in Model Arab League and Model United Nations while I was at JSU. I would say that more than anything, these programs helped me prepare for law school the most. I participated in the Moot Court Program while I was in law school and without my background in MAL and MUN, I would have lacked experience speaking orally in front of groups and speaking professionally on topics that I had researched. 

Advice for those considering law school: Put yourself out there to get practical experience. Law school is a competitive environment and you have people coming in with all kinds of backgrounds. While the major you pick and the classes you take in undergrad can be helpful, you have to remember that everyone else in your law school class is coming in with similar education and background. What will really put you at an advantage is observing court, shadowing judges and attorneys, and getting real-life experience in the legal world. Do not be afraid to go the extra mile by participating in programs like internships, MUN, and MAL, because those will be what make you stand apart. People in my class came from all walks of life - doctors, police officers, teachers, social workers, English majors, engineering majors, biology majors, and more. Law school is like a foreign language and for the most part, people step in on equal footing. Do not feel behind, and if you do, remember that everyone around you feels the same way.