Leading the Charge
Trinh Tran 3L As the managing editor of Family Court Review, one of Hofstra Law’s five law journals, Trinh Tran manages staff and oversees article selection, development and editing for this unique publication, which is written not only by lawyers, but also by other professionals, including doctors, social workers and psychologists. Despite the workload, Tran appreciates the added insight and experience. Tran also pursues her professional and personal interests as president of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association. In March, the association reenacted the 1949 Tokyo Rose trial in which the United States falsely convicted Japanese-American broadcaster Iva Toguri for transmitting slanderous broadcasts during World War II. “It was a very successful production,” says Tran. “Not many students knew about the trial or her eventual pardon. It highlighted some of the prejudices that many Americans, including Muslim Americans, face today.” Tran had a long track record of community involvement before coming to Hofstra Law; in fact, her activism is what ultimately led her to law school. After graduating from college, Tran was a Peace Corps volunteer for two years in Mali, where she helped women develop their microbusinesses. “When I joined the Peace Corps, people teased me by asking if I thought I could change the world,” she says. But the Peace Corps showed Tran that broader change starts on a more personal level. Tran, who is focusing her studies in immigration, family and civil rights law, believes that a legal career will allow her to do just that. She adds, “It’s a good fit, really. You work with a client oneon-one and find ways to work out their problems.”
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For Trinh Tran, law school is about more than taking classes — it’s also about being part of the school community: “Hofstra makes time for students to get involved in organizations they are interested in.”