Dean Pritchard and Dean Ferguson Cheer on Students during Bar Exams

August 10, 2023

Mary Ann Ferguson (Left) and Goldie Pritchard (Right) stand in front of Breslin Center, holding
a sign in support of students completing Day 1 of Michigan State Bar Exams

The College of Law showed its enthusiastic support for its students taking the Michigan State Bar Exam on day one. Cheering on the students were Goldie Pritchard, Assistant Dean of the Academic Success Program (ASP), and Mary Ann Ferguson, Assistant Dean and Founder of the Diversity Equity Services Office (DESO).

Both Deans stood outside of the Breslin Center to cheer MSU’s law students. Their support also gave a boost to the hundreds of law students from across the country who also were testing for the State bar on the MSU campus. “I’m excited because I know the students have worked all summer long to get to this point,” Dean Pritchard said. “They are one step closer to becoming licensed attorneys. I have put forth energy spending all these hours with them, and I’m even more excited because it’s the beginning of them starting their career.”

Dean Pritchard and Dean Ferguson are heavily involved in supporting students preparing to take the bar exam. ASP Bar Exam Support helps students throughout the school year along with the Realizing Excellence and Dreams program (READ) this past summer.

“I am so proud of them,” Dean Ferguson said. “Today, they are realizing their dream and pursuing a goal they’ve worked hard to achieve. They set out to achieve this and they are completing the first day; they’re one step closer to becoming members of the legal profession.”

A physical presence makes sure that students know they are supported after graduating, something Dean Pritchard and Dean Ferguson want to display. They want to send a message of lifelong support; that the students’ relationship with MSU Law does not stop.

“We typically look at legal education as you get your degree and move on,” Dean Pritchard said. “I think it’s an ongoing experience. If you look at the legal profession, it’s a service and volunteer profession. We are letting them know that our commitment to them doesn’t end while engendering a sense of community.”