Conner Suddick
Hamline University
Conner is a second year Legal Studies and Social Justice double major at Hamline University. He is devoted to actively creating social change and educating people on the importance of community empowerment. Conner is interested in the intersection of legal studies and social justice to create policies supporting accessibility to the legal system for marginalized individuals-specifically low-income and LGBTQ+ communities.Conner lives his passion through community involvement across multiple organizations including the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN), LegalCORPS, The Arc Greater Twin Cities, and OutFront Minnesota, the State's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy and support organization where he was recently the youngest member elected to the Board of Directors. On campus, Conner's leadership and engagement includes service as the Justice Coordinator for Hamline's Law and Justice Society. He also founded the Residents for Residents campaign, which engages on-campus residential life in donations drives to benefit the community. Conner has a strong commitment and passion to form paths to solutions that address systemic issues in our legal system. He draws his inspiration from the stories and resilience of the individuals he is privileged to interact with through his community service and uses them to find inclusive solutions.
Personal Statement
I am passionate about solving the disparities for marginalized communities having a lack of access to legal services and living under discriminatory policies. I am concerned about the exclusionary effect of these issues on people who are seeking solutions to social impediments like housing, family issues, and bankruptcy. I aspire to be a voice to support those who may feel powerless or silenced. My passion for this work draws from my personal journey growing up LGBTQ+ and the roadblocks I experienced. I have chosen to productively channel my frustration about these issues to defend the rights of others that do not have a voice. I've worked with the Volunteer Lawyers Network, one of the largest pro bono organizations in the country, where I began as a Fundraising Assistant supporting existing programs and compiled grant research to secure funding. I volunteer weekly as a Clinic Assistant at their Family Law Clinic. I assist the attorney with research and facilitating translation services working with over 130 low-income individuals. Their stories and resilience, motivate me to focus on addressing the root causes of these issues so that every person has access to justice through quality services. I serve as the Justice Coordinator of Hamline's Law and Justice Society connecting undergraduate students with volunteerism in local legal aid organizations through the Minnesota Justice Foundation. I also work with the Center for Justice and Law to promote programming for students to discuss issues in social policy, law, and justice.I serve as the youngest member elected to OutFront Minnesota's Board of Directors. This new role affords me the opportunity to influence in the State's largest LGBTQ+ organization addressing issues for the queer community.
