When Dakar Diourbel took the LSAT on Southwestern's campus,
he walked around the Bullocks Wilshire building and saw an old photo of the law
school's first graduating class from 1914. "I remember walking through the
building and looking in the display case and there was a black man in the
group. I was very impressed because that picture was taken long before the
civil rights movement." Then he saw a picture of the late Los Angeles Mayor (and Southwestern alumnus)
Tom Bradley. "I had moved to L.A.
and I thought Southwestern was the best option for me, so I decided to go
here."
Born and raised in and around the suburbs of Chicago, Diourbel earned two bachelors degrees from Illinois State University:
one in Occupational Health and Safety and the other in Anthropology. Although
he spent part of his sophomore year of undergrad living in Southern California
and taking class at Los Angeles City College,
he returned to Illinois
to finish his degrees and work in Occupational Compliance.
The youngest of eight siblings, he moved to Los Angeles
because several of his brothers and sisters already resided here and he wanted
to live in a better climate. Diourbel spent his first year in Southern
California working for Eastman Chemical. He started law school
thinking he would go into environmental law, representing plaintiffs against
chemical companies. But as he has continued to study and network with local
attorneys, his interest has shifted to criminal defense and personal injury.
Diourbel has enjoyed his experience
at Southwestern, working in the fitness center since his first year, in what he
calls "one of the most coveted jobs on campus because you can get a lot of
studying done down here." He also enjoys talking to the students who come to
the gym. "I've wound up mentoring first-year students, giving them advice."
When he is not studying, Diourbel enjoys spending time with
his family, working out (he prefers weights), riding motorcycles and reading
anthropology books. Though he is almost finished with school, he has a big
decision to make: the location of his next step. "I'm making my decision about
where I'm going to take the bar: it will either be California,
Arizona, Georgia or somewhere in the South."
