Ashley Long: With 91.9 KVCR News, I’m Ashley Long. A fourth year undergraduate student at UCR.
Today, we’re spotlighting one of the voices leading the next generation of changemakers in law. At UC Riverside, a student organization called “Women in the Law” is building a supportive and empowering space for women interested in legal careers.
Today, we will be interviewing Dominion Aiku, the club's director of internal affairs. Let's begin.
To start I asked Dominion to tell us a little bit about her background and what drew her to Woman In the Law at UCR.
Dominion Aiku: Hi, my name is Dominion Aiku, I’m a third year senior. I’m a political science, law and society major. And a little bit about me, I immigrated to America from Nigeria when I was five years old. I’ve always been interested in law growing up. In high school, I did mock trial, throughout my whole high school career. Then, when I came to college, I joined mock trial again here on campus. And while doing that, I was also looking for other clubs that had to do with law – which is how I discovered “Women in the Law”.
I could see myself joining because it focused on women working in the legal field, which in the past has not been that common. Men have always been in the field more, But right now there's a lot of women who are actually pursuing a legal career, so I decided this club would probably be a perfect fit.
Ashley Long: So what exactly does a Director of Internal Affairs do?
Dominion Aiku: My responsibilities – they entailed like communication, like inside the club. I would send out weekly reminders for certain events we had, I would draft our bi-weekly newsletters, I would give recaps some photo albums, and also I was in charge of membership on Highlander Link as well.
So all those responsibilities kind of like the internal process of what makes our club what it was, is what I was in charge of.
Ashley Long: With so many different clubs on campus, I wanted to know, what makes “Women in the Law” different?
Dominion Aiku: Just having a club itself that caters towards a specific minority is a little bit different than the clubs I'm used to. They provide resources to actively speak with woman who already work in the legal field and kind of just get this hands-on experience of like advice, some information to kind of cater towards our legal profession and the steps you need to take sets apart “Women in the Law” from other clubsIs specifically what drew me into the club.
Lots of clubs have many things to offer, but this specific thing that they are offering is what catered to me the best, which is why it stood out to me.
Ashley Long: It's no secret that the legal field has historically been male-dominated. I asked Dominion about the challenges women still face today and how “Women in the Law” helps prepare its members to meet those challenges with confidence and community.
Dominion Aiku: I do think there has been a big improvement, because I'm meeting people more and more everyday who are actively portraying a profession, if either as a paralegal, a lawyer, attorney.So I think one of the challenges that, we do face is that we are underrepresented.
There is a change coming, and more and more women and people of color are applying to the legal field.
And what once was with the challenge, I do think in the near future will be less challenging when you start to see more people who are like you in the legal field. But as of now, the challenge is that there's not so much of us, but I do believe that it will change.
Ashley Long: “Woman In the Law” isn't just about preparing students for law school. It's about engaging with broader conversations about justice and equity.
Dominion Aiku: It's kind of like a safe space. we matched up some of our members who were interested in having a mentor in the legal field.
I also got matched up with one as well and she was kind of practicing the specific type of law and advocating for the same things I was. So the fact that I have all my friends in this club who are all actively working hard to try and achieve the same thing, and we also have mentors who are also already there, who are at the end place where we're trying to go, is very special.
Ashley Long: Finally I asked Dominion what she sees on the horizon for “Women in the Law” and her hopes are for the club after she graduates
Dominion Aiku: I feel like I see our club going, excelling pretty far. I remember during my freshman year where I hadn't joined yet, but I did know the founder and she came back during our networking dinner and I could just see the smile on her face.
It's like, clear that like, she had started something and then established something during her last year of college, I believe. And the fact that it was able to grow so much already within those, like, it was during my freshman year – so, during those 3 years and the fact that it's continuously growing, and we are doing our job because there's more and more girls who are joining the club, and people who are interested in leadership positions. So, I see the club going very far.
So I do hope that this club continues to grow and they continue to excel throughout the years even after I'm gone. and I believe that they will.
Ashley Long: Dominion’s story is a reminder that leadership comes in many forms. Sometimes it's about showing up, organizing and supporting others from within. Whether you're pursuing a career in law, or just want to be part of something meaningful, “Women In the Law” shows us that creating space, raising voices and building community is powerful work. With 91.9 KVCR news I'm Ashley Long. Thank you for listening!
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Interviewer: Ashley Long
Major: Political Science
Contact info:
● Email: aklong602@gmail.com
Interviewee: Dominion Aiku