Law • President
F. King Alexander speaks to Cal State
Long Beach’s Law Society during
a lunch meeting Wednesday. Tracey Roman
/ Online Forty-Niner
Alexander discusses law careers with club
By Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
Managing Editor
Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander spoke about leadership to the
CSULB Law Society, commending them for choosing to pursue a law degree and offering
help to students with such aspirations.
Alexander talked about different focuses of law, why each field is important
to public policy, how law practices have affected what he has done in the field
of education and what he can do to help students move forward in their careers
after graduation.
With three brothers who practice law and a bit of experience in educational and
First Amendment law, though he did not practice, Alexander expressed to students
the importance of law in public policy.
Public policy and state policy with regard to law is important Alexander said.
He
said 70 percent of public policy is determined
by money, 15 percent by politics and the other
15 is by law.
“ Law in the public policy area creeps into education, it creeps into the
social world and all the things that government does when something is done that
is unconstitutional at the federal level, according to state constitution or
when something is done that is hurting an individual that may violate the law
or advantaging a group of people that may advantage them over others with regards
to the law,” Alexander said.
He said public policy, being a checks and balances system within society, makes
the study of law that surrounds it even more important.
Alexander spoke of his own experience with pubic policy in the education system
and how educational law impacts educational policy. He used the example of state
education law.
“ Twenty-two of the 50 states have decided that education is the fundamental
right of every child,” Alexander said. “That means in those states
you have a constitutional right that the public is going to give you an education.
Yet 28 states have not given that constitutional right and in that case, they
are just lucky to have an education.”
Citizens can use this law to assure their right to education is being met by
suing when education rights are breached and taking matters to the State Supreme
Court.
“ Despite what disparities lie in the certain areas, the courts are there
to protect opportunity and there to
protect students’ rights,” he said.
Alexander encouraged students to follow their interest in what he considers a
viable field.
“ Pre-law gives you an opportunity to go in many different directions,” he
said. “I commend you for having an interest in one of the most important
of the three prongs that sets the standards for public policy in all our states
and, at the federal level, it is one the most important checks and balances that
we have in our society.”
He also encouraged students to look outside the United States and consider international
law when considering different fields of law to enter.
Two thirds of the world do not have the same rights that America possesses in
their constitution or a constitution at all, according to Alexander. The battle
in international law is to get other countries onto a level playing field of
basic rule of law or constitutional rights of laws so the people in other countries
can operate and have the same protections as other countries.
He also advised students to get in the habit of reading current information and
staying up-to-date on current events. He said students should read the New York
Times and the Economist, which are valuable publications on global and national
issues that Alexander reads on a daily basis.
As Alexander closed his lecture, he offered to help any student who seeks a career
in law.
“ When those of you get to your law school applications, if there is anything
I can do, let me know,” Alexander said. “I want to help you get into
law school. I want to help you pursue a strong background and do anything you
want. A law degree can be utilized in many ways and I’ll do everything
I can to help you succeed. We need good people in this field.”
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