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Erica Glastetter has always known she wants to become a lawyer, even though she didn’t meet one until she went to law school.

But as the first member of her family to attend law school, Glastetter, a second-year student at Syracuse University’s College of Law, said she came in feeling underprepared.

“When I first started (law school), I had a billion questions and nobody to ask,” she said. “I just had to turn to the internet.”

Her experiences inspired Glastetter to connect with other first-generation classmates and create the First Generation Law Students Association in the fall of her freshman year. Glastetter defines a first-generation law student as a person with no family members who previously attended law school.

FGLSA collaborates with the admissions office at the College of Law to connect with applicants who identify as first-generation law students, Glastetter said.

“We’d reach out to (the students) and just be like, ‘Hey, I’m first generation at Syracuse, let me know if you have any questions,’ to kind of make the process easier,” Glastetter said.

The organization also developed a “buddy system,” through which they pair first-gen students who are further in their school career with incoming first-year students. Around 60 mentors and mentees participated in the program this year, Glastetter said.

Caroline Synakowski, FGLSA’s treasurer and a second year law student, was a mentor to two incoming law students. Synakowski said the experience has been fulfilling for both herself and her two mentees.

“Imposter syndrome is a very real issue for law students and especially first-generation law students,” Synakowski said. “Knowing that I am surrounded by people with similar backgrounds and life experiences is a truly encouraging thing to have.”

FGLSA has connected with other first-generation law student groups, including at Yale University and Seton Hall University, Glastetter said. The group also collaborated with other organizations to create a collage for First Generation Student Day which celebrates all first-generation college students, on November 8.

Glastetter said FGLSA plans on continuing to collaborate and take on more demanding projects with other schools in the future.

FGLSA’s internal membership has also grown exponentially over the pandemic through virtual events, Glastetter said.

“I think going online has enabled us more than anything, with the activities that we’re able to host and the people who are able to join,” Glastetter said.

The organization now holds in-person events, such as workshops to prepare for the bar exam and guest lecturers, but provides a virtual option for members who are only able to attend online.

FGLSA also works with the SU’s JDInteractive the first fully interactive online JD program in the United States. The program targets students who are unable to relocate due to personal or work commitments. The student organization has made an effort to include members of this program to ensure they’re able to get the same support as traditional law students.

Members of the JDI program can participate in the buddy system as well, but FGLSA pairs them with a peer mentor who is also in the online program, Glastetter said.

Last year, SU’s Student Bar Association voted the FGLSA the 2021-22 Student Organization of the Year. The group also recently created a scholarship to help pay for an SU first-generation law student’s education, Glastetter said.

“We just formed this built-in support system,” Glastetter said. “If you’re struggling with something, we’re there to give you advice or tell you what not to do, because we learned the hard way by doing it ourselves.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of the story, JDInteractive was referred to as the first fully online law degree program. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on May 4, 2022 at 11:39 pm

Contact Grace: [email protected]