Spring 2025 Winner of the Criminal Justice Scholarship

Elizabeth Kufour

In her essay, Elizabeth discusses why it is important for people to have access to legal representation. To begin reform, she believes it is necessary to strengthen public defender offices, foster legal partnerships, and improve public education on legal rights. Congratulations, Elizabeth, and we admire your commitment to justice!

Read Elizabeth’s essay here:

The objective of the criminal justice system is to provide equal access to legal representation for all individuals, regardless of one’s level of education, race, or socioeconomic status. Through my own experiences, I have witnessed firsthand how the current system often fails those with regard to the aforementioned list.

My current involvement with the Safety Valve Project (SVP), where I provide pro bono assistance to students facing disciplinary hearings for expulsions and severe suspensions, has illuminated the critical intersection between education and criminal justice. This work directly addresses the school-to-prison pipeline, a systemic issue that disproportionately impacts marginalized populations. My first case with the project left a profound impression on me. The student was effectively sentenced to a one-year expulsion, a decision that felt like a staggering blow to their future. As I reviewed the files of similar cases, the weight of these decisions—the impact of removing a child from school for an entire year and expecting no adverse consequences—led me down a rabbit hole of understanding the broader implications of these disciplinary actions.

My first case also reminded me of my brother’s best friend. He was a bright student in middle school, but adverse family circumstances began to take their toll when he entered high school. Slowly but surely, his interactions with the criminal justice system increased, each encounter worsening his circumstances rather than rehabilitating him. Tragically, he was shot and killed by police in my neighborhood while I was the only one home. His story has stayed with me, serving as a stark reminder of how early systemic failures can escalate into irreversible outcomes.

Building on this foundation, I envision a multi-faceted approach to improving the criminal justice system. First, we must strengthen and expand public defender offices through increased funding and resources. The public defender’s office is one of the few offices that funnels school expulsion cases to SVP. These offices serve as the primary mechanism for individuals who cannot afford attorneys, yet they operate under severe resource constraints. Second, we need to develop sustainable partnerships between legal aid organizations, law schools, and community groups to create a more comprehensive network of legal support services. Across the nation, there are over 100,000 law students, including me, currently enrolled. Leveraging this growing hub of practitioners will not only help to enhance these burgeoning lawyers’ lawyering skills but also simultaneously improve the issue at hand. Public education about the criminal justice system is another crucial component. Many individuals enter the system without understanding their rights or the resources available to them.

My commitment to this work is unwavering. From addressing immediate concerns like the school-to-prison pipeline through SVP to envisioning long-term reforms, I am determined to contribute meaningfully to creating a more equitable justice system. By starting now, while still in law school, I am laying the groundwork for a career dedicated to systemic change—one that transforms the justice system into a force that empowers rather than marginalizes.