Ms. Juris Doctorate (Ms. JD), a nonprofit organization providing professional development resources and mentorship for aspiring and early-career women lawyers, brought its one-day “Determined to Rise” law academy for middle school students to the Georgetown Law Center on Oct. 28. In partnership with the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL), a D.C.-based community service nonprofit organization, students from all across the District gathered to participate in a variety of educational workshops, legal-based activities, and hear from current law students and attorneys.
The organization created the law academy to introduce students to career possibilities within the legal field, while offering additional programming to women and girls interested in law at all levels.
Brianca Hurley, program director for Ms. JD, said that one of her favorite activities in the academy is “Imagine Your Future,” where students are able to create their own law and defend to their peers why it should be implemented into society.
Different motivational speakers in attendance included Ms. JD CEO Danielle Allison and Chief Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Officer of Stinton Law Firm Kimberly Husley.
Hurley said that it’s rewarding to see how students open up throughout their day at the academy.
“When [the students] first come in, a lot of them are very shy and separated, but by the end of the day they’re best friends, exchanging numbers and asking ‘Can we come back next year?’” Hurley said. “It’s a really cool thing to see.”
Kimberly Corbin, GWUL’s chief administrative and financial officer, noted that the experience resonated with many students interested in law.
“Just listening to experienced lawyers come and tell their journey and their story to the students, really made the journey to becoming a lawyer reachable for the students in their own minds,” Corbin said.
Hurley explained that the academy specifically targets middle school students to fill the gap of programs that focus on early exposure to potential career paths.
“There’s a lot of things for our early career associates, our lawyers, our general counsels,” Hurley said. “But we also realize that it starts at a young age. I remember growing up, not really knowing exactly what I wanted to do, but programs like this are what let me know I had that option.”
Prior to the D.C. academy, Ms. JD hosted the workshop in Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois. Hurley, who is a Virginia resident, recognized a lack of professional development resources in D.C., which inspired her to bring the academy to the city.
For every 100 D.C. high school students on average, only 8 will complete a postsecondary education, and 37% of these students will not complete their postsecondary education within six years. Further, a fourth of D.C. high school students will not graduate high school. The study also found that these statistics leave at least 75% of D.C. youth unqualified for the 58% of jobs in D.C. that require a degree.
Ms. JD hopes this event supported the youth of D.C. to achieve and encourage career goals.
“Our CEO Danielle Allison’s vision was to create a world where middle school students can see themselves as a lawyer in so many different ways,” Hurley said.
Hurley noted that in order to host their academy, Ms. JD fundraises each year to meet expenses. However, partners such as GWUL reduce those costs and expand its reach.
GWUL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved communities within D.C. through advocacy, education, and civic engagement.
Prior to this academy, GWUL did not have a program specifically geared towards youth professional development. However, after connecting with Hurley through LinkedIn, Corbin realized that their respective organizations had similar interests.
“Ms. JD has done a beautiful job at developing a program that works, so there’s no need to recreate it,” Corbin said. “Oftentimes, [GWUL is] so focused on the parents or the head of household, and we love it when we find programs that allow us to also focus on students. This one did just that.”
In preparation for the academy, GWUL’s primary role was to identify and register students, and then provide financial support, transportation, and parting gifts for these participants. Hurley highlighted how the help of a community partner such as GWUL can make an impact.
“It really shows how when different organizations come together, we can really make change.” Hurley said.
To gather participants, GWUL’s Case Manager and Outreach Coordinator Jasmine Allen, reached out to various public middle schools to share information about the program. These efforts resulted in 39 students participating representing 13 different schools across five wards.
“By sparking interest at an early age, we aim to inspire the next generation of change makers who will not only pursue careers in law but also uplift and give back to their communities,” Corbin said.
Ms. JD and GWUL already have plans to host Determined to Rise in early 2026 at Georgetown Law. Both Hurley and Corbin expressed excitement about this multi-year partnership.
Corbin said her biggest takeaway was the pride she felt seeing students not only interested in the legal field, but also envisioning themselves in college and other higher-education paths.
“If we can get the children to believe in their brilliance then we’ve done our job,” she said.
