The Law Place asked law students across the nation to consider the legal heroes who inspire them. Students from all backgrounds wrote in and described the impact of a wide range of legal influences, from teachers to family members and rising stars of the legal community. However, DeAndré Keené Bell II’s essay stood out.
DeAndré Keené Bell II’s celebration of his teacher, Charlie McCullum, embodies the enthusiasm and goodheartedness that our team wants to champion. The Law Place is proud to offer DeAndré Keené Bell II $2,500 to dedicate toward his continued legal education.
Getting to Know DeAndré Keené Bell II
DeAndré Keené Bell II has a gift for narrative. His scholarship essay invites readers to join him in his sophomore year of high school when his mind buzzed with big dreams – if a lack of direction. Then, with him, readers move from the fantastical comforts of fictional role models like Dr. Maggie Pierce and Derek Morgan to a man named Charlie McCullum.
Charlie McCullum, or Mr. McCullum, taught DeAndré Keené Bell II’s first law course: Law I, for sophomores in high school. DeAndré Keené Bell II reports that while Mr. McCullum never received his law degree, he pushed bright students to break out of their comfort zones and explore the strange beauty of the field.
That isn’t to say that Mr. McCullum’s classes – Law I, Law II, and Court Systems – offered easy As. DeAndré Keené Bell II’s essay describes a Day 01 pop quiz that required him to recite the Bill of Rights. Fortunately, DeAndré Keené Bell II passed, cementing his relationship with the teacher who would become his role model.
Getting to Know Charlie McCullum
DeAndré Keené Bell II describes Charlie McCullum as a man wholeheartedly devoted to teaching. As a high school student, DeAndré had the chance to learn about the complexities of cases like Brown v. Board of Education and People v. O.J. Simpson.
According to him, Mr. McCullum didn’t shy away from the racial and subjective influences that made waves in these cases.
Moreover, DeAndré says, “Mr. McCullum trained us to become true courtroom advocates. We learned evidence to sway juries to our side in trial simulations. We learned written and oral advocacy to prevent the miscarriage of justice and argue before the U.S. Supreme Court in appellate simulations.”
Building on Charlie McCullum’s Inspiration
Mr. McCullum may have opened the door to the field of law on DeAndré’s behalf, but it was DeAndré’s choice to walk through it. Under Mr. McCullum’s tutelage, DeAndré found success as a member of the Attorneys In the Making (A.I.M.) mock trial team. He attended Dillard University, where he received a degree in Urban Studies & Public Policy.
He competed as a member of Dillard University’s American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), eventually leading the team to become the first Louisiana-based mock trial association to make it to the AMTA National Championship Tournament. Now, he intends to complete his law degree at Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
We’re here to serve you. Our phones are open 24 hours a day. What’s Next for DeAndré Keené Bell II?
Since coming to law school, DeAndré has already made waves. He’s tackled two internships with the Hon. Kenneth Hoyt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
In his own words, he has “testified before the Louisiana State Legislature, advocating for minority voters to receive fair representation across district lines” while also serving as a charter member of the Power Coalition and “Black Youth Vote!” at Dillard University.
It’s easy to see how all of this experience will serve him well as he pursues judicial clerkships and completes his degree. He hopes to one day argue before the Supreme Court and, upon his retirement from the courtroom, become a Mr. McCullum for the next generation of lawyers.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience About The Law Place Law School Scholarship
The Law Place wants to put power – and financial resources – into the hands of up-and-coming law students. That’s why the firm offers The Law Place Law School Scholarship, valued at $2,500. This year, the scholarship encouraged applicants to discuss inspirational legal figures, alive or dead, and how those figures shaped their lives.
Unfortunately, law school tuition remains one of the greatest barriers to a legal career for ambitious students. DeAndré Keené Bell II poignantly describes the financial barriers that prevent many sharp minds from entering law school.
He reports that receiving The Law Place’s scholarship makes it easier to scale those walls and continue down the path that he first found in Mr. McCullum’s classroom. The Law Place and its scholarship selection committee are proud to help DeAndré afford the education he so clearly deserves.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers. Congratulations, DeAndré Keené Bell II!
The team with The Law Place would like to once again congratulate DeAndré Keené Bell II on receiving the 2024 Law School Scholarship. We were moved by his passionate and thoughtful discussion of Charlie McCullum’s influence on his life and are pleased to help him pursue his legal ambitions.
The Law Place invites students interested in following in DeAndré Keené Bell II’s footsteps to keep an eye on the firm’s website. We look forward to reading your stories about the inspirational figures in your life ahead of the next academic year.
