*This article was reprinted from The Daily Tar Heel.
From cheering on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from the sidelines to rooting for them as an alumna while working on becoming a lawyer, Kennedy Byrd is proud to be a Tar Heel. Now, she is also a proud student at the University of Miami School of Law.
During her time in Chapel Hill, Byrd earned a B.A. in Journalism, with minors in Entrepreneurship and Social & Economic Justice. In addition to being a cheerleader, she also had the opportunity to work with the ACC Network, Sports Xtra, and UNCUT. With such a diverse background, it leads one to ask what would make Byrd want to pursue law after UNC.
Interest in Law Sparked at UNC
"I knew for sure that I wanted to be a lawyer during the beginning of COVID and I was exploring different ways that I could intersect my passions of sports and civil rights," Byrd said.
Her interest in pursuing law was sparked by some of the classes she took within her Social & Economic Justice minor. To further cement the decision, she worked as an ESPN Next intern in 2021 and was given the opportunity to see how law worked within the sports world.
"I enjoyed working with the legal department and exploring the way I could integrate sports and law," Byrd said.
Although there are many different paths to becoming a lawyer, Byrd decided to continue her education immediately after graduating from UNC last spring. Her next big question became - where to now?
Choosing Miami Law for Legal Studies
Flash forwards a few months and a law school application later, Byrd has been studying at the University of Miami School of Law this fall and has fully embraced all that Miami has to offer. Not only does the program offer an amazing array of courses in civil rights, social justice and sports and entertainment law, but the city itself has a culture that is unmatched.
"I feel that there are always opportunities to network and learn more," Byrd remarked.
Even though she's only been at Miami Law for a short time, Kennedy says that she has had the opportunity to attend impactful and eye-opening events. One such event was the Women's Powerhouse Panel she was lucky enough to sit in on.
"It was an opportunity to learn from women at the top of the music, sports, and fashion law industries," Byrd said.
She is also a member of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society, Black Law Students Association, and Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association.
Advice for Others Considering the Law School Path
The road to law school wasn't easy, but having the support of a vast network of UNC alumni helped Byrd a lot. The former UNC cheerleader also provided some advice to those looking to get into law schools like Miami for current undergraduate students.
"Set the timeline that works best for them. I came to law school right out of graduation, but there are many paths to a law degree," Byrd said.
Kennedy also emphasized that reaching out to and learning about law schools that align with your passions is extremely important when deciding where to spend the next few years of your life.
After an eventful four years in Chapel Hill, Kennedy Byrd knew that she wanted her new few years of law school to be just as meaningful. And, although she has only been there for a few months, Byrd knows that she made the right choice with Miami Law.
