Kameelah Sims-Traylor, C’2019, is well on her way to becoming a criminal defense attorney, and eventually, an international investigative journalist. She is also among the inaugural cohort of the UC Hastings California Scholars Program.
Launched in fall 2019, the scholars program is a new outreach initiative designed to elevate a pipeline to enrollment and financially support students from historically Black colleges and universities.
“The California Scholarship is profoundly significant in so many ways,” said UC Hastings chancellor and dean David Faigman. “It gives UC Hastings the opportunity to attract top talent to our law school, gifted individuals who will contribute their experience and backgrounds to an already diverse and varied law school community.
Under the "3+3" program, students will spend their first three years at Spelman and the following three years at UC Hastings Law in San Francisco. The program allows students to obtain their bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctorate in six years rather than the typical seven.
"I feel very fortunate and grateful to be part of this inaugural year of the scholarship," said Sims-Traylor. "As a kid, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. Of all of my childhood dream jobs, the desire to be an attorney, remained. I plan to practice criminal defense law and continue my mission for positive institutional change."
Sims-Traylor Shares How She Stumbled Upon the Opportunity of a Lifetime
Mario Lopez in admissions (at UC Hastings) came and spoke at Spelman during my senior year. Frankly, I didn’t pay much attention because at that point I was applying for jobs and putting off law school. Ironically though, that semester I was working for a tax attorney who graduated from UC Hastings. After I stopped the job search and committed to law school, I passed a flyer for UC Hastings posted on my department’s bulletin and put two and two and two together. So I feel very fortunate and grateful to be part of this inaugural year of the scholarship.