Student introductions
We asked some of our student affinity group leaders to share a welcome greeting to our incoming class. Click each to learn more about who they are and read their message.
Ahmed Jama, 2L
Dear Incoming 1L Students,
Welcome to Mitchell Hamline School of Law. I am incredibly excited to welcome you as you begin this challenging and rewarding journey. My name is Ahmed Jama, and I am a current 2L student and the president of the Muslim Student Association.
I remember what it felt like to be in your shoes just a year ago. The excitement, the nervousness, and the anticipation of what was to come. It’s a significant step, and you should be proud of yourselves for making it this far.
Before law school, I attended the University of Minnesota, where I majored in Psychology. Currently, my area of interest is corporate law, and I am eager to learn more about the intersection of business and law.
I want to share a piece of advice that I found invaluable during my 1L year: remain steadfast and work hard. Your first year can have an outsized influence on your legal trajectories. It’s a time to build a strong foundation, develop good study habits, and connect with your peers and professors. It won’t always be easy, but it will be incredibly rewarding.
Please know that the Muslim Student Association and the entire law school community are here to support you. We are a diverse and welcoming group, and we are committed to helping you succeed. If you have any questions, need advice, or simply want to connect, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I look forward to meeting you all in person and getting to know you throughout the year. Once again, welcome to law school!
Sincerely,
Ahmed Jama
2L Student
Muslim Student Association
Alexis Benjamin Reyes, 3L
¡Bienvenidos! y ¡felicidades! en su admisión a Mitchell Hamline School of Law. You are starting an academic journey unlike any other. All of you will feel like you don’t belong here. All of you do.
I am Alexis Benjamin Reyes (he/him/his/el/lo). I am an Angeleno and a first-generation law student. I am currently serving as Mitchell Hamline’s Latine Law Student Association’s (LLSA) Vice President and Mitchell Hamline’s Student Representative on the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association Board. I am also an Associate for Mitchell Hamline Law Review, Vol. 51 and a Notes and Comments Editor for next year’s Vol. 52.
As you begin your law school experience, get involved! There are a bunch of student organizations with different focus areas, there are professors that will be looking for research assistants, and there will be volunteer and networking opportunities. Experiencing everything Mitchell Hamline has to offer will make your law school journey more holistic, educational, and fun. These next years will be the last educational experience that most of you will have, so why not make it the most enjoyable? Building your own community here and joining others will help you grow, not only as a law student, but as a person.
You all deserve to be here, and I am glad you have decided to join us here. I’ll see you around!
–ABR
Latine Law Student Association
Ashley LaFriniere
Boozhoo (Hello), congratulations, and welcome to Mitchell Hamline School of Law! My English name is Ashley Alexis LaFriniere and I am a Tribal citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota and a descendant of the White Earth Nation in Minnesota.
One of the many reasons I chose Mitchell Hamline School of Law is because of its Native American Law and Sovereignty Certificate. Our law school has a positive reputation for going beyond the words of its land acknowledgment with its recruitment efforts which have resulted in the largest number of Native American students nationwide.
The MHSL’s Native American Law Student Association’s chapter is one of the largest nationally. Our membership also created a new student group called the Indigenous Women’s Law Society. Having a community to lean on while in law school is critical. If you have not already, I urge you to consider any pre-law school opportunities to begin building your law school community, including Jumpstart. It is never too early to begin setting yourself up for success in pursuit of your Juris Doctorate degree.
Sincerely,
Ashley Alexis LaFriniere
Indigenous Women’s Law Society member
Jaida Shellaugh-Russell, 3L
Welcome to Mitchell Hamline School of Law!
My name is Jaida Shellaugh-Russell, and I am the President of the Black Law Student Association. I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I am a rising 3L BAM student.
My advice to incoming law students is to pursue every opportunity that interests you. Don’t let others discourage you or make you feel like you don’t belong because you do. You were admitted to law school for a reason! Stay confident, stay determined, and embrace the journey ahead.
Wishing you all the best in your law school experience!
Jaida Shellaugh-Russell
Black Law Student Association
Jonathon Mitchell, 3L
My name is Jonathan Mitchell (he/him). I will be a full-time 3L at Mitchell Hamline in 2025-26. I hope to work in education, employment, and/or constitutional law after I graduate.
My favorite part of law school is the pedagogy, which requires students to be well-prepared for class and to think on their feet. My favorite part of Mitchell Hamline specifically is the friendly community. I also appreciate the variety of student organizations and ways to get involved in real legal work. I am on the leadership team of both PALS (Parents & Caregivers Attending Law School) and ACS (American Constitution Society)—reach out if you are interested in either!
My advice to this year’s class would be to not lose sight of why you chose to go to law school in the first place. Also, remember to be kind to your classmates and not fall victim to an overly competitive mindset. Lastly, there is no “one right way” to study—you’ll figure out what works best for you.
I personally did not participate in JumpStart, but I wish I would have! While nothing can entirely prepare you for law school, the more exposure you can get to briefing cases, legal writing, and the like, the better.
Parents & Caregivers Attending Law School (PALS)
Leo John Bird, 3L
Okii, welcome, and congratulations on your admission to Mitchell Hamline School of Law! I am excited for you to exercise your voice and learn all that you can to be the best advocate. My name is Leo John Bird (he/they/awawakii).
I am a citizen of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and I am a descendant of the Blackfeet Nation, Amskapii Piikanii. I am a rising 3L and Treasurer of the Native American Law Student Association, and a previous Student Leader for the Legal Methods class in the Office of Academic Excellence. I attend Mitchell Hamline as a full-time, in-person student, and I have had a great experience finding and building community at this institution. Currently I am pursuing the Native American Law and Sovereignty and Health Law certificates. I hope to one day be in-house counsel for a Tribal Nation.
A word of wisdom as you begin is to start getting into a sustainable routine that will help you maximize your productivity while also taking care of your mental and emotional wellbeing. A typical week for me includes lots of reading and writing, frequenting the gym, meal prepping, attending counseling, and writing poetry. Whatever works for you, do it. I look forward to your presence on campus! We got this!
Student Leader, Academic Excellence
Rachel Evangelisto, 2L
Congratulations and welcome to Mitchell Hamline!
My name is Rachel Evangelisto (she/her/hers) and I am an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Nation. I am full-time, in-person 2L and am serving as President for the Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) this Spring and am a proud member of the Indigenous Women’s Law Society (IWLS). I graduated from the U of MN, Morris in May 2019 and worked as an Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Guardian ad litem prior to starting law school.
Law school is an exciting yet sometimes nerve-wracking journey. Like many others, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions from anxiety, self-doubt, and everything in between. But let’s be honest, what law student doesn’t feel that way at the start (even if they don’t admit it). The best way I found to navigate this challenging experience was by leaning on the support of friends, family, and on-campus communities.
One of the smartest decisions I made before starting law school was participating in the JumpStart Pre-1L Program. True to its name, JumpStart gave me a head start on my legal education, setting me up for success before I even stepped into my first class. It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with fellow 1Ls, develop essential skills for law school, and become part of the Mitchell Hamline community from day one.
I hope to see you during JumpStart this fall!
Sincerely,
Rachel L. Evangelisto
Native American Law Student Association