The current president of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Tramell Moore has had remarkable experiences—including teaching English to students in China, participating in the Innocence Project, and being chosen for the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship Program—all before becoming a law student at DePaul Law. Allen Moye, advisor to BLSA, describes Tramell as “a thoughtful and inspiring leader. He has managed to lead BLSA during a challenging and difficult time, taking great care to provide opportunities for the members to maintain a sense of community."
Q. What did you do before law school?
After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015 with a major in History, I moved from Chicago to Memphis to teach 9th grade African American History and 11th grade U.S. History through Teach for America (TFA). Although I knew I wanted to attend law school, I also wanted to give back to a community similar to my own by working directly with youth in an urban area.
Q. What inspired you to go to law school? Was there any specific reason you went to DePaul?
I first became interested in attending law school after shadowing a lawyer during Law Day in high school. After participating in multiple programs and taking law-related classes in college, it became more apparent that I wanted a career in law.
Following TFA, I moved back to Chicago and worked at Winston & Strawn LLP for three years as a docket clerk. During this time, I learned a lot about civil procedure and had the opportunity to work with amazing attorneys and staff who became mentors. This position solidified my interest in becoming a litigator.
The Winston & Strawn summer associates from DePaul really convinced me to attend DePaul Law. They were always insightful and honest about their law school experience and about what I should expect as a law student. With DePaul Law being located in the Chicago Loop–close to amazing law firms, and only a few blocks away from the courts–it was the best choice for me.
Q. What have been some of your most notable accomplishments at DePaul?
Being elected president of BLSA is one notable accomplishment for me at DePaul. I am very proud to serve as the official spokesperson of the association. I love attending recruitment events and speaking with prospective students to get them interested in DePaul Law. I also get to meet and plan events with judges, law firms and BLSA presidents from other law schools, which helps move the organization forward. I also have amazing opportunities to work closely with the deans, professors, the Office of Law Admissions, and our Diversity & Inclusion team on different pipelines and agendas for minority students.
Being selected a staff member of the DePaul Law Review is another notable accomplishment. This year, all students had to participate in the write-on competition for selection. I found it especially difficult to focus on the competition, because it occurred during the George Floyd protests. As a Black man in America, it had my full, undivided attention. Despite this, I was able to push through. Now I am working on my own Law Review note, which will cover homelessness and the Eighth Amendment. Overall, Law Review has been extremely challenging and rewarding. Without a doubt, it has made me a better legal writer.
Q. Why did you decide to run for President of BLSA? What are changes you’ve made as President of the BLSA/changes you’d like to see? Has COVID affected any of your plans?
I decided to run for president of BLSA because it was an extremely important organization to me as a first-year law student. I wanted to help make a direct impact on this great organization by serving as a member of the executive board. Fortunately, the prior executive board of BLSA did an amazing job, and our board did not have to make any structural changes. However, due to COVID, we did decide to prioritize first-year law students to ensure that they were fully adjusting to law school life. At first, our board thought it would be tough to host activities due to COVID. However, we were wrong. We have held successful programs this past semester with topics about mental health, exam taking tips and job searching.
Q. What do you plan to do after completing law school? Any particular areas of interest?
After law school, I plan to work at a Chicago law firm as a litigation associate. As a young law student, I am still exploring my particular interests, and I would like to work on projects within a few different practice areas to find what I like most. Though I am not certain that I would like a full-time career in criminal law, I do love learning about it, so I would like to join a firm with a great pro bono program, so I can get involved in criminal law work.