By, Michelle Cecil

Law school is expensive. Tuition, fees, books, bar review courses and exam fees quickly add up.

Additionally, students are expected to dress professionally in a variety of settings, including legal interviews, client meetings, summer internships and oral advocacy competitions.

The financial burden on students can be overwhelming.

Mizzou Law is working to find ways to alleviate as much financial stress on our students as possible.

The Student-Faculty Relations Committee met to discuss specific ways to help students, and two student committee members suggested setting up a career closet.

The law school’s building coordinator, Kathy Smith, approved the use a small room already outfitted with professional-grade clothing racks. Within a week, faculty, staff, students and alumni donated gently used professional clothing to the closet, including suits, dress shirts, pants, skirts, blazers, purses, ties, and cardigans, filling it to the brim in a matter of days.

The Lawyer’s Closet opened for business on Thursday, April 18. MU law students in need of professional clothing may take up to two outfits from the closet free of charge to keep. They can also use the closet to borrow a suit if they need one for an unexpected interview or client meeting.

The closet also provides a steamer, lint roller, dryer sheets to freshen items and a few stain pens.

Many of the students using the Lawyer’s Closet are finding items to wear during summer internships.

Ties, blazers, skirts, and a generously donated pair of Kate Spade shoes were in high demand. As clothing inventory gets low, the Student-Faculty Relations Committee plans to hold clothing drives in Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield to ask MU Law alumni to donate gently used professional attire to the closet.

This is one small way the committee and Mizzou Law are helping ease some of the financial burden of law school.

If you’d like more information or to contact the Lawyer’s Closet organizers, email Aurora meyerad@missouri.edu.

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