Bridging Gaps in Legal Resources and Education as an LAS Double Major
Interview with Anna Heading link
Name: Ananya “Anna” Ramesh
Major: Political Science (Law and Courts), English (Literature)
Minor: Global Asian Studies, Pre-Law Track
Year in school: Sophomore
How did you choose your major/minor?
I have always really loved English. In highschool it was always my favorite class so I knew I would end up studying English in university. As I continued my education in English I realized that the aspect of English I really liked was analyzing texts and forming arguments, which led me to start considering law school. As I became more and more invested in the idea of being an attorney, I added Political Science (with a concentration in Law and Courts) to help me learn more about the legal field before law school.
At first I was hesitant about pursuing a double major, but English and Political Science have actually gone together really well! I took English 207: Interpretation and Critical Analysis last semester and we studied the author’s intent in various passages and constructed arguments based on philosophical concepts. This class prepared me for one of my current classes, Political Science 353: Constitutional Law, where we get to read and dissect Supreme Court cases and opinions. I’m able to analyze texts and understand arguments and reasoning a lot easier because of the skills I learnt in English 207.
My decision to minor in Global Asian Studies was a relatively recent one. As an immigrant, many of my beliefs and values are deeply rooted in my South Indian culture and traditions. Having grown up in America, I realized that I don’t know a lot about my heritage even though it has been a big part in my upbringing and my identity. I decided to minor in Global Asian Studies to learn more about my culture and also to help diversify my perspective by learning about non-Western cultures and history.
Can you talk about your participation in the LASURI program? What are you researching?
My project focuses on studying factors that have led to the 18-25 age group having the lowest voter turnout. To research this topic, I created a survey with my advisor Dr. Bruhl to study education-based factors that may have contributed to low voter turnout. My research includes developing a literature review as well as traveling to interview students at universities across Chicago to survey their interest in politics. I will also be meeting with high school social studies and government teachers to further understand the strengths and weaknesses of the current syllabus in helping students become more participative members of elections/democracy. Helping students become more politically involved is very important to me since so many issues our generation is facing can be solved or helped through representation in politics. This representation starts by growing our voice in elections. I will be presenting my research in Spring 2025.
You created the blog, Accessing the Law. What was your inspiration behind this?
After I realized that I wanted to go to law school, I soon became aware of a significant lack of information for people who lack resources or connections in the legal field. As a way to combat this glaring obstacle that stands in the way of so many students (especially minorities and future first generation law students such as myself) achieving their career aspirations, I created Accessing The Law. This website originally started with the help of more than 100 survey respondents who helped me understand what areas students needed more information on, such as the LSAT, law school applications, different legal careers, and more. This summer I began interviewing attorneys and law students across the country. All of these individuals spoke about their journey to law school, the struggles they had faced, and their future goals. This information was then published into articles that are free for people to access.
As of next month Accessing The Law is also publishing the first monthly journal from our Undergraduate Law Review, where undergraduate students across the country have the chance to help make the legal field more accessible by publishing articles on changes in the legal world. We currently have cohorts for Constitutional Law, Corporate Law, and Criminal Justice.
These cohorts are directed by editors who make up a portion of our new Executive Board, and aim to support Accessing The Law’s initial initiative by making news in the legal world more accessible to individuals who are interested in learning more but don’t know where to look. These articles essentially act as summaries of changes in the various legal fields, and dissect legal concepts to help make them more understandable for everyone. We publish a monthly journal that includes a publication from each cohort. We are currently accepting more editors and writers for existing cohorts and new cohorts.
Has anything surprised you in your interviews?
I have had the opportunity to interview law students and legal professionals from a variety of different backgrounds, and it has been really interesting to see the various motivations and passions that have led to all of them choosing to do law. Many of my interviewees have candidly shared their experiences with imposter syndrome, test anxiety, and other challenges they’ve faced along the way. This has been a really amazing surprise because it helps destigmatize the idea that you need to have the “perfect” academic career to succeed.
One surprise with the website overall has been the overwhelming amount of support and feedback Accessing The Law has received. So many students across the country have sent in their support, questions they want to incorporate into future interviews, and other suggestions that have been so helpful in fulfilling the organization’s intention of helping to provide more resources for current and future law students. The website got a much bigger audience than I had expected, and it’s been a great surprise to see the reach and impact Accessing The Law has had.
If you could give yourself one piece of advice during your freshman year, what would it be?
I’d focus more on smaller goals rather than constantly focusing on the big picture. Having goals for your future is always important, but only focusing on the end result led to me getting overwhelmed and simultaneously feeling like I wasn’t doing enough. I would have wanted to focus more on creating smaller milestones and focusing on my individual progress, rather than just having my overall goal in mind and comparing myself to others.
What are your aspirations after graduation?
I hope to go to law school and possibly business school and later have a career as a corporate attorney.