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Meet Allie Quinn, the newly elected president of the Drake Law School Student Bar Association.
Year: 2L
Hometown: Fort Dodge, Iowa
Undergraduate: Drake University
What made you want to attend law school?
I had a heavy influence from my mother growing up – she’s a juvenile probation officer. In 6th grade, I told my parents I was going to go to law school, and I never had any other plan.
What have you been involved in at Drake Law School?
I was a 1L representative for the SBA my first year, and then I’ve been a university representative this past year. I was also a 1L representative and undergraduate liaison for Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity. I’m a member of Drake Law Women, a team leader for Belize Dance Marathon, a Drake Law student ambassador, and I’m on the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law as junior staff.
How do you find time to do everything?
Google Calendars! I map everything out every week. I tell prospective students that law school is a lifestyle choice, and you just have to commit to it. It’s a fun life. A busy life, but a fun one.
How do you think extracurricular activities enhance your education?
I think it’s benefited me. I know all the faculty because I’ve dealt with them in and out of the classroom. Being able to approach professors and talk to them or ask questions helps me exponentially. Also, law school can be daunting, so being in activities makes it more fun. It takes the law school experience outside of just going to class every day.
What are your goals for the upcoming year as SBA president?
This year is going to be different because we have an administration going out and an administration coming in at the Law School. So my major goal is for the SBA to be there for students, to open lines of communication, and just make the year start off on a really good note.
How do you think the SBA could improve?
I think the SBA could improve by getting ourselves out there more. We’re definitely trying to do that this year. We’ve already started by adding law students to our SBA Facebook page so they can contact us directly. It’s about making ourselves available and visible so students feel comfortable voicing concerns.
You officially started your position on March 1. What do you hope to do in the next couple of months before summer?
In the next two months, we have Supreme Court Celebration Week, and the SBA is very involved in that. And then the SBA is going to do the budget for next year’s student organizations. So we have a busy couple of months ahead of us.
What advice do you have for students who are starting law school this fall?
My biggest advice is to seek out professors you click with and take all their classes, learn all you can from them, and talk to them outside of the classroom. Also talk to upperclassmen. It’s kind of awkward to go up to someone and introduce yourself as a 1L, but the upperclassmen have done this before and they’re there to help you. You just have to be willing to put yourself out there and get involved so you can meet people.
Learn more about the Drake Law School Student Bar Association.