Wake Forest Law and Winston-Salem State University Partner to Create Pathway for Future Legal Leaders

On October 2, 2024, Wake Forest Law faculty and leadership joined Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) students, faculty, and leadership on the WSSU campus to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two schools—officially kicking off an impactful partnership to create a pathway for WSSU students to matriculate into the Wake Forest Law full-time residential juris doctor (JD) program. 

The partnership between the two Winston-Salem-based universities was facilitated by Wake Forest Law Dean Andrew Klein and the newly-elected head of WSSU, Chancellor Bonita Brown (’94, JD ’97).

WSSU Provost Anthony Graham called the event to order and welcomed the nearly 100 guests in attendance. WSSU Dean Manju Bhat thanked everyone who made the MOU, and the event, possible.

Chancellor Brown, a Winston-Salem native with deep ties to the community—and a “Double Deac” who earned both her undergraduate and law degrees at Wake Forest—spoke next, reiterating WSSU’s commitment to providing pathways to professional schools and careers for the institution’s students. She emphasized that the agreement with Wake Forest will help remove some of the barriers for students interested in pursuing a law career and will bridge the gap in producing a more robust pipeline into the profession. 

Dean Klein followed Chancellor Brown, remarking that “As two anchor institutions of higher education in this community, the partnership between our schools was a natural fit. The coming together of our institutions is a positive development for our region, indeed for our entire state.” He continued: “Wake Forest Law strives to ensure that the opportunity to pursue a legal education is accessible to the broadest range of society so that we can continue to develop ‘citizen-lawyers’—leaders who make an impact on their communities and the world around them. Partnering with WSSU will help serve that mission.”

WSSU pre-law student Kiara Lassiter brought the audience to their feet with her powerful remarks, sharing how she hopes to enter the field of law to combat injustice in her community and the the world. Judge Denise Hartsfield (JD ’91), chair of WSSU’s Board of Visitors and an adjunct professor at Wake Forest Law, moved the audience with her words about the joining together of the two universities. “As I was getting dressed, I thought I would wear red and gold in honor of the WSSU and Wake Forest school colors, but I then decided to wear neutral tones, because the law must remain objective,” she said.

Wake Forest’s Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion José Villalba rounded out the day’s remarks, commenting that with this partnership, MOU stood, in fact, for “moment of unity.”

After the remarks, Dean Klein and Chancellor Brown signed the MOU, making the partnership official. A celebratory reception followed, as Wake Foresters and WSSUers mingled and discussed myriad opportunities to further collaborate.

Wake Forest Law followed the blueprint created by Wake Forest University School of Medicine, as the School of Medicine entered into a partnership agreement with WSSU in April 2024 to create a pathway program for WSSU students to enroll in the School of Medicine’s Physician’s Assistants (PA) program. 

Guided by the principles of academic excellence and transformative scholarship, WSSU and Wake Forest Law commit to cultivating a richly diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that empowers students to meet the complex needs of the world. The two universities both strive to produce equity-minded, highly competent, and productive citizens who respect the rule of law and are devoted to service.

The mottos of both institutions serve as a reminder of the schools’ like-minded missions: WSSU’s “Enter to Learn. Depart to Serve” and Wake Forest’s Pro Humanitate, or “For Humanity.”