The Morris Fellows Program connects incoming Penn Carey Law students with volunteer 2L and 3L mentors, who provide guidance on all aspects of life at the Law School.
For 251 first-year students beginning their law school journeys at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, the next three years will be filled with experiences and connections that last well beyond graduation day.
The Morris Fellows Program, administrated by the Law School’s Student Affairs Office, helps 1Ls adjust to the rhythms of law school and creates opportunities to make connections before setting foot on campus.
“The Morris Fellows Program really builds on the collegiality of Penn Carey Law, providing new students that first line or resource,” said Stephanie Thistle, Director of Recruitment at the Law School. “Before they get to law school, they have someone rooting for them.”
Named after former Professor Clarence Morris, known for his care of students as individuals and ability to create a welcoming classroom, the Morris Fellows program has focused on building meaningful relationships between volunteer 2L and 3L mentors and 1Ls for over two decades.
The built-in support network from the Program begins from the start of new student orientation, continuing throughout the entire first year of law school, and in many cases, beyond.
“Meeting my Morris Fellow has shaped my law school career tremendously,” said Greg Drapkin L’26. “Immediately upon our meeting, he did everything he could to help me acclimate to campus.”
Drapkin, who now participates as a mentor, recalls first meeting his Fellow during orientation week at the Morris Fellow Welcome Lunch. As they walked through campus, Drapkin says his mentor introduced him to nearly everyone they walked past.
“Because of him, I joined various student groups that he connected me with based on my interests, and I have since taken on leadership roles in several of those groups, working alongside the very people he had introduced me to early on,” he said. “I am incredibly grateful for the genuine care my Morris Fellow showed me through the program, and similarly how he continues to support me now as a close friend.”
Each year, around 150 2Ls and 3Ls volunteer their time to foster personal and professional relationships with one to three mentees, often as a first-line resource for questions big and small.
“The Morris Fellows program is a testament to our upper-level students’ commitment to the newest members of the Law School community,” said Dimitri Islam L’09, Director for Student and Community Engagement at Penn Carey Law. “This is a purely voluntary program. Year after year, well more than a hundred Morris Fellows choose to give up the last week of their summer vacation and significant chunks of time during the school year to help their 1L mentees. By making this commitment, our Fellows invest in the culture and connective tissue that make the Law School such a special place.”
For the match-making process, all Morris Fellows complete an in-depth survey covering items like academic interests in and outside of the law, undergraduate studies, any student organization involvement, as well as more general interests and hobbies.
Thistle then takes the survey results and matches potential mentors using 1L application information. While common denominators like hometowns or undergraduate institutions might make for easy matches, Thistle strives to find other throughlines that may help cultivate deeper relationships more quickly.
“We want mentors to provide academic guidance, but also to help with the general adjustment to law school–incoming students may not be from Philadelphia, or they may be the first in their family to attend law school,” she said. “We like the idea that it doesn’t need to be someone with the exact same mindset or interests who could still be a good mentor.”
For Catherine Bauer L’27, the matching process was an immediate success.
“When I got the email from my Morris Fellow, Cayla, I was shocked by how similar our journeys and interests were. The matching committee obviously made a deliberate decision to pair us together,” she said. “I felt as though I had an immediate mentor in my field. Not to mention, she added me to group chats, helped me buy textbooks, and took me out outside of class. Cayla is a friend as well as a guiding light.”
A self-described “K-JD,” Bauer said that while she knew for years she’d one day attend law school, the reality still takes some adjustment. And the support of an experienced mentor has been crucial to her transition.
“Law school is a little like drinking out of a firehose. You’re devouring new information at a pace unlike anything you’ve experienced before,” she said. “Knowing that Cayla is eager to guide me through this immersion process has not only been a source of learning but of confidence.”
The Morris Fellows Program is not a requirement for 1Ls and ultimately, Thistle says individuals get out of the program what they put in. However, when considering the outcome is not only a resource for academic guidance from someone who has gone through the same experience, but a potential lifelong connection, it’s another example of Penn Carey Law’s commitment to collegiality.
“After meeting law students from across the country over the past few years, I feel confident in saying that Penn Carey Law’s community is incredibly unique,” said Drapkin. “The pride that we all feel for our school is not necessarily inherent in the broader law school experience, and by continuing to support initiatives like the Morris Fellows Program, I hope that this special feeling of genuine community at Penn continues on for many future classes.”