William & Mary Law School Holds Third Annual Speaker Series Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Honoring Dr. King Tamar Lawrence-Akinyemi '11, Managing Attorney, Immigration Legal Program at Northern Virginia Family Service in Falls Church, Va., shared good advice and her inspiring story during the Law School's third annual speaker series honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Photo by David F. Morrill
On Wednesday, January 17, William & Mary Law School hosted Tamar Lawrence-Akinyemi '11 as featured speaker for the third annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration event.
During her talk, Lawrence-Akinyemi told students not to ask if they belong, but to ask why they are here and to connect with that “why” as they become citizen lawyers, a journey that involves learning, sharing, growing, and teaching.
Lawrence-Akinyemi is Managing Attorney, Immigration Legal Program at Northern Virginia Family Service in Falls Church, Va., She represents clients in family-based, humanitarian, and removal defense matters before the U.S. Immigration Courts, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, and various U.S. Consulates abroad. She currently manages a team in providing trauma-informed client-centered immigration legal services to immigrants in Northern Virginia.
Lawrence-Akinyemi distinguished herself as a leader and a scholar at William & Mary Law School. She served as president of the Student Bar Association, President of the Student Hurricane Network, and as Community Service chair of the Black Law Students Association.
She was a member of the Moot Court Team and articles editor of the Journal of Women & the Law, now known as the Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice. She was also a recipient of the George Wythe Award, the Dean's Certificate and the Oliver Hill Scholarship. She also holds a B.A. in History and Spanish Literature from Cornell University.