Windermere High School students start pre-law club

A middle school civics classroom is where Windermere High School senior Paulo Moreira first fell in love with the art of law.

He was intrigued by the concept of helping people through the profession. 

However, when he started at Windermere as a freshman, he couldn’t find any classes, organizations or clubs on campus to further explore that interest. 

“I wanted to make a difference on a bigger scale and to be a better citizen in helping make society what it is,” he said. “After that, it motivated me to figure out the possibilities law could give me in a career and what resources I would need. I quickly realized I didn’t really have anywhere to go to learn about or get information when it comes to law.”

Rather than abandoning the interest, Moreira leaned into it and now has helped establish the school’s first pre-law club.

“That sprung the idea of creating this club to help students coming into the school to give them an opportunity to learn more about law and the importance of it,” he said. “I want this club to make that part of the process easier so people don’t have to go through all those extra steps that I did. I didn’t really have anyone to go to so hopefully this can help students.”

LAYING DOWN THE LAW

WHS’ pre-law club is led by five officers: Moreira, president; Nicolas Mujica, vice president; Raissa Oliveira, treasurer; Maria Victoria Sacchi, secretary; and Maria Fernanda Sacchi, historian. 

The new club is sponsored by Carroll Stoner, physics teacher, and welcomes all students that hold a passion or interest to pursue a career in law.

Maria Victoria Sacchi said the goal of the club is to find students at the school who have an interest in law but may need a little guidance on where to go with that interest.

“We want to have mock trials and stuff like that to give a hands-on approach,” she said. “We also want to find volunteer opportunities and internships for students so they can get involved outside of the classroom. Providing that additional experience will help students figure out if law truly is something they want to do because the process is long and hard.”

For the mock trials, the officers plan to have a script only they know. The other students will have to find evidence, analyze the case and present findings based on the information given. 

The officers would also like to bring in professionals who are established in the field to serve as guest speakers. 

The club, which hosted its first meeting last week, already boasts about 50 members, and that number is growing. 

One of Moreira’s personal goals with the club is to eliminate the fear of law being too difficult to pursue and to expose students to the different ways they can use law, showcasing there’s not just one type.

Mujica said Moreira’s idea for the club sparked his interest in a possible law career.

Mujica said a common misconception is that a decision to become a lawyer must start when a student declares his or her major.

“You can pretty much take any major you want and then still take the LSAT and get accepted into law college,” he said. “We want to make sure to explain that to students right off the bat.”

As the only sophomore officer, Maria Fernanda Sacchi still isn’t sure where she wants to go to college or what she wants to study. However, the club gives her the ability to learn and explore an option. 

“Law is always something that’s really interested me, so when my friends told me about their idea for the club it got me really excited,” she said. 

Maria Victoria Sacchi realized a lot of students at the school are interested in law but don’t have guidance as to what to do with that interest.

“We wanted to provide resources and a space for people who have the similar interest in law,” she said. “It was a hard process to go through all the steps and the paperwork, but we did get it done, and we’re excited to explore and have fun with it this year.”

Photo by Annabelle Sikes

PERSONAL PASSIONS

Mujica said his father, a lawyer, also inspired his interest in the career.

“I’ve always been a really big history buff, and I love politics a lot,” he said. “The last elections, I would even watch all the debates because I just have interest in that stuff. My brother’s fiancee is also in the law field. She took me to the court, and I had the opportunity to shadow a judge. Since that moment, I’ve just been completely in love with the whole process. Not just the cases and the court, but everything else that goes on behind the scenes too, like the research and the reading.”

Oliveira’s father also is a lawyer.

“I’ve been watching him since I was a kid,” she said. “I noticed that my dad always really enjoyed what he does and that made me want to learn more, even though I never really had an interest in law before.”

Because she teaches four different classes, Stoner typically does not sponsor clubs but said the students inspired her with their passion and dedication.

“It’s nice to see the students so excited about learning outside of just the lessons and classes we teach,” she said. “They have a genuine interest in wanting to expand their learning and help others.”

Oliveira thinks law is about more than just being a lawyer.

“It can involve so many different aspects and there are so many routes you can take it,” she said. “That’s one of the best parts about it, that you can do so much with it.”

Mujica plans to pursue a career in law. He hopes to attend college  and major in political science before attending law school.

Moreira has a desire to go to law school but wants to explore the government side of the profession.

“I just love the way we can kind of use law in the government to make changes and have a positive impact on the way people live their lives,” he said. 

The officers hope to grow interest in the club as much as possible and emphasize everyone is welcome. 

Mujica wants to make sure the club stays at the school even after the seniors graduate.

“We want to make sure our meetings are entertaining and our members can be active in participation,” he said. 

“The sad thing about being seniors is there is no next year for us here at the school,” Moreira said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, so hopefully, students enjoy the idea enough to keep it going. It’s kind of our legacy.”

If there are any professionals interested in guest speaking at future pre-law club meetings, the officers ask those interested to reach out to the school directly.