As the national political climate grows more urgent, so does students’ commitment to racial justice. We saw it firsthand on September 22, when the Stanford Center for Racial Justice (SCRJ) opened its doors to kick off the school year. Roughly 70 students packed the room, filling every seat and lining the walls, eager to listen and learn. The message was clear: students don’t just care about racial justice. They’re ready to get involved and put in the work.

For Lily Hong, JD `28, who interned at SCRJ as a 1L, the turnout was a thrill. “Working with the other interns was a highlight of my 1L year,” she said, “which made it particularly exciting to see the amazing turnout that the Center was able to bring together.”

Building Community & Finding Your Place

After food and an icebreaker, where students paired up with someone they hadn’t met, Hoang Pham, the Center’s director of education and opportunity, welcomed attendees with brief remarks. Professor Ralph Richard Banks, the Center’s founder and faculty director, then took the floor to explain what SCRJ is all about: giving law students a platform to start the work they care about, apply their skills to real-world issues, and prepare for their careers after law school.

Student leaders, including past Harry Bremond-Wilson Sonsini Foundation Student Fellows and interns, then walked attendees through the many ways to get involved: the 1L internship, the 2L/3L Bremond Fellowship, and the Center’s policy labs. The room broke into small-group roundtables, where interested students could ask questions directly of Center alum. The conversations covered everything from choosing a project to what the experience is like day-to-day.

How the Stanford Community is Thinking About Racial Justice

The evening’s most energetic moment came when attendees were tasked to respond live to a pair of questions: What racial justice issue do you want to address? What research idea or legal/policy solution could help? The responses gave insight into how this community thinks about racial justice.

The answers ranged widely. One student proposed examining racial coalition-building and political organizing capacity in urban versus rural America, asking what challenges communities face amid spatial inequality. Others turned to the criminal legal system, suggesting regulations for the AI tools law enforcement uses to predict outcomes, given evidence of racial bias, and ways to hold officials accountable for unchecked prison abuse. Still others looked at where inequality begins, asking how early childhood education could advance racial justice and how to ensure equal access to care and accommodations for people with disabilities.

The students weren’t just naming problems. They were already thinking like researchers and advocates, asking who is affected, where, and what the law can do about it.

The Draw and Impact

For many first-years, the open house was a first look at the community they hope to join. “It was a great opportunity to meet 2Ls and 3Ls early in the year and hear about the community they’ve built,” said Jessica Hoffman, JD `29. “It made me excited to be a part of that community with my fellow 1Ls!”

For Jeremiah Lowther, JD `29, the draw was more personal. He was struck by how creatively the Center approaches issues like education and justice reform. “Racial justice is extremely important to me, and a large reason why I enrolled in law school,” he said. “I believe that this work is part of a long-standing challenge for America to live up to its virtues and promises.”

For Professor Banks, the energy in the room was palpable and a sign of the moment. “Students seem to be aware that our nation is at an inflection point, in which race figures centrally,” he said. “It is heartening to see so much interest in maintaining and bolstering the health of our democracy.”

Join Us

If you missed the open house, there’s still time to get involved. Reach out to Hoang Pham at hgpham@law.stanford.edu to learn more about internships, fellowships, and policy labs.