CBA Record May-June 2025

From Seventh Grade Curiosity to Harvard Law: Alyssa Matias’s Journey Began with One LIC Classroom Visit

By Tiffani M. Watson, M.Ed., Managing Director, CBA Lawyers in the Classroom program A t just 12 years old, Alyssa Matias had never met an attorney. A sev enth grader at Belding Elemen

“I’m so grateful to Tiffani Watson and our LIC attorney team for bringing such inspiring and informative lessons into our school,” she said. Matias echoes that gratitude. “It’s so important to expose young people to the legal profession,” she said. “Especially those who otherwise might not have access to this experience.” Her early exposure to constitutional law stayed with her. At Lane Tech High School, Matias enrolled in Advanced Placement U.S. History, making con nections between class discussions and what she’d learned through LIC. Later, national events like the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and the story of Kalief Browder deepened her passion for justice. After graduating, she enrolled at the University of Southern California, major ing in political science with a minor in law and social justice. She joined the Mock Trial team, interned with the Amer ican Civil Liberties Union, worked for the California Department of Fair Housing, and assisted attorneys at the L.A. County Public Defender’s Office. “I fully immersed myself,” she said. “Every experience confirmed that this was

tary School on Chicago’s Northwest Side, she hadn’t imagined that the law—or those who practiced it—would ever cross paths with her life. That changed one morning in 2013, when volunteer attor neys from the Lawyers in the Classroom (LIC) program walked into Janine Nel son’s classroom. The attorneys taught a lesson on the Sixth Amendment, focusing on bias and the importance of impartiality in the legal system. The lesson, titled, Voir Dire: A Jury Selection Activity, allowed students to explore how attorneys select jurors and what it means to assemble a fair jury. “I was completely captivated,” said Matias, now 24. “It was one of the most engaging lessons I’d ever experienced.” She vividly remembers analyzing juror profiles with classmates, debating who would be most impartial, and selecting a panel to fairly judge the fictional case. The experi ence stuck with her and shaped her future. Nelson, who partnered with LIC for over a decade before retiring in 2022, reflects fondly on the program’s impact.

Alyssa Matias

the work I wanted to do.” After college, Matias was accepted into Trials, a competitive summer program co-sponsored by Harvard and NYU that prepares students from underrepresented backgrounds for law school. It offered LSAT prep, legal writing training, and most importantly, confidence. “That’s when I realized I could get into an Ivy League law school,” she said. In early 2025, that dream became real ity. Matias was accepted to Harvard Law School, and she credits it all to that first spark from LIC. “It started that morning in seventh grade,” she said. “That one lesson opened a door I didn’t even know existed. Lawyers in the Classroom didn’t just introduce me to the law—it helped me find purpose.” To learn how you can get involved with the program, send an email to Tiffani Watson at twatson@chicagobar.org or visit www.chicagobar.org/LIC.

ENERGY HEALING: THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN LEGAL WELL-BEING & PERFORMANCE June 9, 2025 | 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Virtual Members Free! 1 IL Mental Health/Substance Abuse PR-MCLE Credit Wendy S. Axelrod, Esq., CPC, ELI-MP, will outline how energy healing can benefit your mental, emotional and physical well-being as well as enhance your work performance.

20 May/June 2025