Growing up second-year Hofstra Law student Nancy Coulverson played many different women’s sports. From her time playing and going to support other women’s games she realized the huge disparities that women faced in comparison to their male counterparts.
In college, she chose to double major in women’s studies and economics as a way to combine two important topics she was passionate about. Her time there led her to want to pursue a career in law, where she could learn more about laws that affect businesses, women, and people of color.
Finding the Right Fit
Though Nancy is originally from Queens, New York, she spent most of her secondary and undergraduate education in Connecticut. Once she graduated she knew that she wanted to be closer to home. When she started applying to law schools in New York she remembered a fond childhood experience at Hofstra University.
“When I was in middle school I went to a women’s basketball game at Hofstra. The game was kind of quiet and there weren’t that many fans except for a rowdy student section. They had the funniest cheers that I still remember till this day,” she says. “Seeing them all excited just made me think that this might be a place for me after college.”
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Since starting law school, Nancy has actively participated in different hands-on learning opportunities to increase her knowledge of the legal field. The most recent fellowship she was a part of was the Meyer Suozzi Winter Diversity Fellowship that was created to expose students to an in-depth law firm experience and varied and complex legal issues in a corporate setting.
During the fellowship she was able to work in the bankruptcy, municipal law, and litigation departments. Her time there gave her insight on how “clients’ needs are very different in municipal law compared to corporate law,” she says. The fellowship also expanded her legal connections on Long Island and prepared her for the bankruptcy class that she is currently taking.
Other learning opportunities that she has participated in include the New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship and the Citizen Legal Internship.
Hofstra Law Connections
Currently, Nancy is an extern for Hercules Pharmaceuticals where she is expanding her knowledge of in-house lawyering and the pharmaceutical industry. She came across the opportunity through a Hofstra Law story featuring alumna Brianni Lyons ’18 who works as counsel for the company and was connected to her through the Office of Career Services.
“When you’re trying to apply to different positions there’s the legacy of the law school that comes with you. Being able to connect with alumni who also have this legacy from Hofstra Law is helpful because they know more about your experience than other people from other law schools.”
“I saw that she was super interesting and also a black woman in corporate law. Seeing that story was really inspiring,” she says. “It has been truly inspiring to work with her and get to know more about her.”
Seeing representation within the Hofstra Law community and creating connections with alumni like Brianni Lyons is something that has helped Nancy greatly when looking for legal opportunities to refine her skills.
“When you’re trying to apply to different positions there’s the legacy of the law school that comes with you. Being able to connect with alumni who also have this legacy from Hofstra Law is helpful because they know more about your experience than other people from other law schools.”
Her interactions with alumni have not only helped her gain valuable experience in the field but it has also left a lasting impact on her that she intends on passing on once she graduates.
Women of Color Collective
One of the big initiatives Nancy has pushed since being at the Law School has been creating a space where women and people of color have a place to thrive. Her involvement in the Women of Color Collective (WoCC) organization has helped her to do just that.
The organization, which was created to build community and success for women, gender non-conforming, and non-binary students of color, has hosted multiple events to help students succeed.
Their 1L Diversity Matters event, which was held in Fall 2021 in collaboration with other groups on campus, connected first-year Hofstra Law students to alumni in different fields of law with diverse backgrounds. During the event first-year students were introduced to different diversity fellowships and opportunities that they could take advantage of in the future. They have also created a partnership with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, hosting the inaugural Envisioning a Future in Law program where they educate and share their law school experiences with Girl Scouts.
For Nancy, working with the Girl Scouts is a way to uplift young girls and provide representation for people of color in law.
“If there is any way that I can connect with the youth who may or may not be interested right now but potentially become interested because of an event I do, that means the world to me,” she says. “That has been the most impactful thing to me, to be able to pass it on and potentially be the reason why a young girl from Long Island decides to become a lawyer.”
Future Plans
For the future, Nancy plans on continuing to stay active and engaged in the Hofstra Law community. She wants to gain more experience in in-house corporate law and continue to create representation for women and people of color in the legal field.
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