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WIU Alumna Makes History By Being The First Elected Black Woman to Lead a Prestigious Global Legal Journal

March 28, 2024

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MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University Political Science alumna, and Chicago, IL native Nashuba Hudson, has been named as the first Black woman elected to lead a prestigious global legal journal titled (Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies) at the Maurer School of Law of Indiana University of Bloomington.

While at WIU, she worked as a student administrative aide in the Office of the President, Vice President for Administrative Affairs, and the Office of the General Counsel. She also was a Resident Assistant during the 2018-19 school year in Lic-Wash-Grote. She was active with the Honor College as well as her college sitting in on the Student Honors Association as the secretary during the 2018-20 school year; and the student representative for the Political Science Department on the College of Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Board. Hudson attributes a lot of her success to a few of her mentors from WIU. Hudson graduated from WIU with a bachelor's degree in Political Science in May 2020. Following graduation from WIU, Hudson worked full time as a billing coordinator at a law firm while applying to law school. She is a child of a Panamanian immigrant and a first-generation law student.

"I had two mentors who assisted me in getting into law school—although the entire department was supportive and helpful!" Hudson said. "Those mentors are Victoria Smith J.D. and Dr. Placide. Ms. Smith assisted me throughout the application process, from preparing for the LSAT to reviewing my statement. I also credit some of my law school success to her and am glad to say she is still my mentor to this day. Dr. Placide assisted in providing letters or recommendations along with providing advice as a Black woman in a specialized profession. I am very grateful to her and she is also still my mentor."

Hudson is now the editor-in-chief of the "Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies" which publishes topics surrounding globalization. This journal is also a peer-reviewed journal so law professors normally use it when they are up for tenure to demonstrate their presence among their peers.

Hudson got to where she is today through dedication and hard work. Hudson's advice to all law school-seeking WIU students is to plan.

"My advice to students seeking to go to law school is two things. First, plan ahead and early! The law school application process can be long and tedious. It is important to have a plan of attack as deadlines begin to become more apparent and the stress of it all begins to take over. With a solid plan, it will make the process a bit more seamless," Hudson said. "Second, leverage your resources! By making connections with my professors and drawing on programs that LSAC and WIU had to offer, I was able to successfully matriculate into law school. My curiosity led me to build a solid resume and locate creative ways to supplement any financial barriers that occurred. Most importantly, I was able to discover the guidance I needed in navigating the law school admission process and the legal profession at large."

For more information on WIU's Political Science program, visit wiu.edu/politicalscience.

Posted By: Kelsey Brown (kl-brown5@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing