UMass Law News UMass Law News: UMass Law students visit historic civil rights sites with federal judges

Five-day tour across the Southern U.S. connected classroom learning with the people and places that shaped the civil rights movement

Four students from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's School of Law (UMass Law) spent part of their winter break traveling through key locations in the American civil rights movement alongside federal judges.

The trip, organized by U.S. District Court Judges Angel Kelley, Jack McConnell, and Melissa DuBose, Magistrate Jessica Hedges, and court clerks, and included stops in Atlanta, Georgia as well as Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, and Tuskegee, Alabama. The students, nicknamed "Justice Riders," visited historic sites, toured museums, and met attorneys, judges, and community leaders whose work connects directly to civil rights history.

Participants said the five-day trip offered a rare opportunity to connect the cases and legal principles they study in the classroom with the recent history that shaped them.

During the trip, students visited the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma and met several influential figures connected to the civil rights movement and its legal legacy.

Students said the experience deepened their understanding of the law, the ongoing struggle for civil rights, and the role future lawyers can play in pursuing justice.

"Many of the people we learned about weren’t trying to be famous—they were simply trying to do the right thing. Pursuing justice means being willing to stand up for what’s right in difficult situations."

Q+A with UMass Law Justice Riders

What stood out to you most about traveling with U.S. District Court judges during this experience?

"I think the thing that stood out the most to me was the candor between the judges," said Jack Riley '27. "They really came across as people, and being able to have normal conversations about law school and life made them feel like close colleagues during the trip."

"Hearing their journeys to becoming judges was really meaningful. It showed that even if you have an idea of where your career might go in law school, the path is rarely straightforward," said Ezekiel Jalloh '27. "You have to stay open to opportunities and keep justice at the center of your work."

"The judges were genuine and humble. They treated us all with respect and kindness," said Shalyn Peterbark '28. "It was my first time meeting a judge, and they made me and the other law students feel welcome. I've always heard judges have to present themselves as beyond reproach, and seeing their behavior in real time for five days made me realize how true that characterization is."

What sites, museums, or speakers had the most significant impact on you?

"One of the most impactful experiences for me was visiting the Legacy Museum and hearing Bryan Stevenson speak," said Mia Petronio '26. "The museum made the constitutional history and present-day injustices feel immediate rather than abstract."

"Bryan Stevenson's Legacy Museum left a lasting impact on me," echoed Peterbark. "As an African American woman, it felt like meeting my past. The museum honored the lives lost while making sure the truth of that history could not be hidden."

"Meeting Sarah Collins Rudolph in Birmingham was incredibly powerful," said Jalloh. "When we learn about the 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing, we usually hear about the four girls who died. Hearing from the fifth girl who survived made the history feel very real."

How did this experience connect to or deepen what you've been learning at UMass Law?

"I'm currently taking civil rights litigation, and this trip helped me see how the law developed during that period," said Riley. "Many laws existed before the 1950s and '60s, but states weren't following them. Litigation became a way to hold officials accountable."

"Experiencing civil rights history in the places where it unfolded transformed the Supreme Court cases we study into living lessons about justice," said Petronio.

Did standing in some of these places affect you differently than reading about them in a textbook?

"Yes. Standing in these places and speaking with people who lived through the events made it clear just how recent this history really is," said Jalloh.

"In Montgomery, there are historical markers on almost every corner," said Peterbark. "Standing there connected distant and recent history in a way that reading about it never could."

Did this experience influence the kind of lawyer you hope to become?

"For me, the trip was motivating," said Riley. "I came to law school after working in banking and wasn't sure where I'd end up. Hearing the stories of people who pursued justice helped me feel confident about making that career change."

"I already hoped to work in immigration and human rights law," said Jalloh. "This trip reinforced that goal and showed me the many ways lawyers can pursue justice."

"It reminded me that attorneys should always remember the human story behind every case," said Petronio.

After this trip, what does "Pursue Justice" mean to you now?

"'Ordinary people can do extraordinary things,'" said Riley. "Many of the people we learned about weren't trying to be famous—they were simply trying to do the right thing. Pursuing justice means being willing to stand up for what's right in difficult situations."

"Pursuing justice also means not giving up," said Jalloh. "Many of the civil rights leaders knew they might not see the final outcome of their work in their lifetime, but they continued anyway so future generations could continue the fight."

"For me, pursuing justice means using the law intentionally—to protect rights, amplify voices that often go unheard, and challenge inequities," said Petronio.

"To pursue justice means to stand tall and serve where you are needed," said Peterbark. "There are many ways to fight for justice. If I am helping make our legal system more equitable and serving a good cause, then I am pursuing justice."

UMass Law students visit historic civil rights sites with federal judges

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