Alumni and Students Connect and Mingle at Legal Education Opportunity Program Mixer

On March 18, 2024, Seton Hall Law’s Legal Education Opportunity (LEO) Program held its Student-Alumni Mixer for an evening of networking and mentorship. Since 1977, the LEO Program has provided a pathway and transition to law school for students who have overcome hardships and show great promise as future lawyers.

For many first-year law students, networking events can be daunting, but the mixer provided a welcoming atmosphere where students were encouraged to mingle and foster professional connections. “The LEO Mixer was a phenomenal event, offering an opportunity to network with 2L and 3L LEO Fellows and attorneys. Everyone shared helpful advice and guidance, and the event  helped me expand my contacts,” said Mohanad Moustafa ’26, a first-year LEO Fellow. “Events like these help students like myself to develop the networking skills necessary for successful legal practice.”

At the Mixer, Melanie Perez-Vellios, Director of the LEO Program and Assistant Professor of Legal Practice at Seton Hall Law, remarked on the positive turnout at the event, and encouraged alumni to introduce themselves to first-year LEO students. Second- and third-year students were also encouraged to continue building their connections with LEO alumni.  She shared, “Cultivating strong relationships between LEO program students and alumni is critically important to the long-term sustainability of the LEO Program and to fostering a sense of community enhancing academic and professional success. We are thankful for the support of our LEO program alumni and are looking forward to strengthening those bonds through future mentoring and networking opportunities.”

While current LEO students conversed with fellow program peers and alumni, the Mixer was also an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and reminisce on their law school experiences as they passed on their advice to students. “It was wonderful meeting so many talented LEO students at the mixer and I look forward to contributing to their advancement as rising high-achieving and high-potential lawyers,” said Cristal Lambert ’12, Assistant General Counsel at ETS and member of Seton Hall Law’s Alumni Council. “As a proud LEO Alumna, I can personally speak to the positive impact that the LEO program and Seton Hall Law community has had on my trajectory. I look forward to doing the same for our LEO students and graduates and invite our LEO Alumni and Seton Hall Law network to join me in this effort by way of mentorship and advocacy for our LEO students. In doing so, we will continue the legacy of the LEO program and ensure that we build a strong pipeline toward professional and academic success.”

The LEO program is excited to continue nurturing these invaluable connections with its dedicated alumni, fueling the mission to empower and support aspiring lawyers on their journey towards excellence. 

Interested in getting involved with the LEO program? Contact Melanie Perez-Vellios at [email protected].