#WestMO Alum Elected Chair of the National Black Law Students Association
In March 2016, the National Black Law Students Association elected Derick Dailey as its national chair-elect at its annual convention in Baltimore. A Little Rock, AR native, Dailey is a 2011 Westminster College graduate (Political Science and Religious Studies majors).
As national chair for 2016–17, Dailey will act as executive director of NBLSA, a 48-year-old student-run, nonprofit organization boasting 200 local chapters and tens of thousands of students, alumni, professors, administrators, and corporate sponsors. He will also act as chairman of NBLSA’s board of directors.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to reshape the brand of NBLSA nationally and globally into one focused squarely on racial justice,” Dailey said, noting he seeks to move the organization’s legacy forward rather than keep it intact. “It’s a job I’m honored to have and a really humbling experience.”
Below, read about Dailey’s experience at Westminster.
Campus affiliations and activities while you were at Westminster?
Student Government Association, Westminster Poverty Initiative (Founder), Cultural Diversity Organization, Student Christian Leadership Council, United Way of Callaway County Board Member, Student Ambassador
What other degrees do you hold, and from which educational institutions?
M.A., Yale University (2014) –Black Religion in the African Diasper and Ethics
What is your current career position?
I am currently a 2nd-year law student at Fordham University School of Law in NYC where I serve as a Stein Scholar.
Currently, I am working as a Legal Intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York on issues relating to Civil Rights, Securities Fraud, and White-Collar Crimes. Last summer I served as the James E. Johnson Legal Intern at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and a Summer Associate at Dowd Bennett LLP in St. Louis.
What organizations are you involved in?
I am a member of the Institute of Religion and Lawyering at Fordham Law, the Stein Scholars Program, and the National Black Law Students Association Regional Executive Board Member (Northeast Regional Executive Board). Professionally, I serve on several Boards for non-profits; namely Bread for the World, the Rudd Center at the University of Connecticut and the National Yale Black Alumni Association.
What role did Westminster play in leading you to your current position/studies?
Westminster has played an important role in the development of my worldview, my appreciation for life-long learning, and my commitment to public service and the pursuit of justice.
Which of your achievements are you most proud of? What do you consider your greatest success?
It is very hard to select a single achievement that I am most proud of. Broadly speaking, I am very proud of my work with public-interest oriented organizations and non-profits; namely groups like Bread for the World, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and Teach for America. Each of these organization’s purpose is to ensure that the most marginal around the world have access to humanity’s most fundamental needs. I am extremely proud of every opportunity to engage people and engage in public service.
How did your Westminster education inspire your achievements?
Westminster’s commitment to a rigorous liberal arts education, reflected in its curricula, student-body, faculty and administration, inspires me to pursue educational and professional goals that are geared toward service to others.
What successes and achievements do you envision in your future? What are your goals?
After law school, I hope to work for the U.S. Department of Justice as a Civil Rights Attorney and transition to the private sector as a litigator. Ultimately, I hope to run for public office.
Do you recommend Westminster to prospective college students? Why?
Westminster must continue to unashamedly prioritize leadership education and development, illumine its student leaders, invest in them, and support them with all its might. That’s what Westminster did for me
