An African-American woman will lead the South Carolina Law Review for the first time, the university announced Thursday. Second-year law student Chelsea Evans was elected by a panel of her fellow student editors at the Law Review.
"I'm incredibly humbled to be elected editor-in-chief," Evans said in a statement, "and I hope that my election encourages more women and people of color to pursue law degrees, journal membership and the position of editor-in-chief."
Evans also spent her undergraduate years at USC, earning a bachelor's in public health. In addition to the Law Review, she is a member of the Black Law Students Association, a Pro Bono Board member, a research assistant and a judicial extern for a U.S. District Court judge. She has previously served as a Mayor's Fellow under Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and as a mentor to minority middle school students through the Constitutional Scholars Pipeline Program.
Evans will lead the Law Review's almost 60-person team for a full year, overseeing four publications of the journal. Though she recognizes the pressures of the job, Evans has faith in her ability to see the 69-year-old publication into a new era.
"Serving as editor-in-chief will be challenging and will require a great deal of hard work and diligence, but we have a great board of editors, and I am confident that we will continue to uphold the reputation and legacy of the South Carolina Law Review."