Sewit Beraki ’24

By | Posted on

Brains of Berkeley Law: Voices of Students, Staff & Faculty that Make Berkeley Law

By Cheska Torres Ibasan

Sewit Beraki portrait with Brains of Berkeley Law text

“I want everyone to have access to spaces, to imagination, to community, to education, to peace, to joy, to safety, and to love. At my core, I want to empower people to use their own agency by dismantling the obstacles in their way,” shares Co-President of the Student Association of Berkeley Law (SABL) Sewit Beraki (2L).

A participant of the Negotiation and Mediation Trial Team, the Berkeley Immigration Group, the Berkeley Law Policy Advocacy Clinic, Berkeley LSAD, Berkeley Women of Color Coalition, and a Student Representative at the Berkeley Law Alumni Association — Beraki’s leadership is one of the many legacies that Berkeley Law thrives upon.

 

Quote: I'm a naturally curious person who constantly questions the norms and systems of our world. I believe that understanding these systems is necessary to tearing them down and building them up. So here I am. I have always wanted to contribute to the creation of a transformed society – where we recognize the power and benefits of autonomy, joy, and liberation. My hope is that law school, and ultimately a J.D., will allow me to meaningfully contribute to the formation of a more inclusive and empathetic society.

ON STUDENT ADVOCACY: Quote: The challenges of the many identities I occupy are rooted in the mechanisms of systems that never considered them. My advocacy in my leadership positions has been dedicated to amplifying those issues. I have been focused on creating and cultivating an equitable learning environment at Berkeley Law. Some examples of my continuing efforts are increasing funding for Public Interest students during the summer, providing resources for underprivileged students whose family members can't afford the expense of traveling for graduation, and creating inclusive spaces for the Berkeley community as a whole. I also want to take this moment to shout out all the student leaders for the work they tirelessly put in to make Berkeley Law what it is.

2022 Negotiations World Champions and the Highest Skilled Negotiators.Quote: We're all influenced by the communities we come from and the pedagogy of the materials we spend time learning, so it was really refreshing negotiating with people who approached the issues differently. We were challenged to match the energy and the language that the other teams used so that we could communicate efficiently and effectively.

Beraki smiling in front of library books. Sewit Beraki serves as the 2022-2023 Co-President of the Student Association at Berkeley Law (SABL). Her leadership is also demonstrated through her involvement as a participant of the Negotiation and Mediation Trial Team, the Berkeley Immigration Group, the Policy Advocacy Clinic, Law Students of African Descent, Women of Color Collective, and as a Student Representative at the Berkeley Law Alumni Association.

Beraki leaning against a shelf of books. Beyond her leadership at the Berkeley Law community, Sewit Beraki's commitment to cultivating equitable academic spaces is also demonstrated through her role as a Grad Student Ambassador and as a Black Student Facilitator at a high school in Oakland.