Community. Advocacy. Service.

Her reputation precedes her, and she might best be described as a principled introvert. Minkara’s strong opinions—and even stronger penchant for action—are palpable in her wake. She is the 2019–2020 Student Bar Association president, and she earned this position after running an arduous campaign on a platform of “community, advocacy, service.”

She’s a self-described “macro” thinker who finds value most in the conversations that lead to understanding others’ experiences; having empathy for other people, animals, and the earth; and experiencing the world with all one’s senses. Eccentric or insightful? After a conversation with her, some might say both.

Minkara is not your traditional law student. Besides her emerald green hair and assortment of detailed tattoos across her arms and legs, she also has absolutely no intention to litigate or do deals for a living. After graduating with her juris doctor, she is headed to Washington, DC, to pursue her passions in policy work. She recently accepted a position with the Sierra Club, where she will be a legal fellow for a year and hopes to work in environmental and civil rights law after.

“We haven’t had any new, substantive environmental law since the seventies and, so, we’re overdue. More than anything, I’d love for this degree to give me a chance to be in the room when those laws are written and to have some kind of say in how the laws are drafted,” she says. “Obviously they have to take into account, for example, the effects of climate change on already marginalized communities, on coastal communities, on communities of color and impoverished communities, and I think Emory has put me in a good place, because I’ve gotten a lot of experience doing that already through the Turner [Environmental Law] Clinic and classes.”

On paper, her job as SBA president has two functions, she says: “You oversee all of the 50 to 60 student organizations. And then it also is serving as a conduit between students and faculty and administration and staff. That’s a very clear-cut way of looking at it, but … there are a lot of extraneous things you pick up as you develop relationships with students on a more personal level. I have become a friend to a lot of people. I appreciate the trust they have put in me.”

“It’s no secret that a lot of groups of students have been struggling this year … so, being able to serve as a touchstone for them to check in and see what’s happening on the other side or for the administration to check in and see how students are feeling, I appreciate that role.” It hasn’t been perfect. She’s required to make a lot of snap decisions, and she doesn’t always get those right, she admits. It looks like an overwhelming job and, at times, it can be. It’s also incredibly gratifying, she adds. “As this experience comes to a close, I realize that I’ve learned from the positive and negative experiences equally. I come off as an idealist, but I’m a realist. Students can be a wily bunch, but the position is exactly what I was expecting.”

Clinical Professor of Law Mindy Goldstein, who serves as director of the Turner Environmental Law Clinic and of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program at Emory Law, explains how Minkara takes an empathetic approach to her duties. “Lawyers are problem solvers by trade, and Amneh is one of the best problem solvers I’ve had the pleasure of teaching. She listens carefully, she identifies problems, and she sets about resolving them. She doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations or complicated solutions. Instead — with honesty, directness, and compassion — she works towards making this law school a better place.”

She adds, “Amneh is a doer. Many of us sit around and think of ways to improve our institutions; Amneh sets about doing it. Whether it is ensuring an opportunity for students to speak directly with the administration, getting rid of single-use plastic cups, or organizing a workshop, Amneh effectively translates her ideas into action.” Minkara purports that Emory Law excels at empowering students to take initiative and bring wide-ranging and niche discussions to campus that students wouldn’t have access to otherwise, “and a lot of the faculty are incredible,” she says, “including Professor Mindy Goldstein,” who Minkara has dubbed “an absolute gem and an incredible mentor. There is great research coming out of this building from leaders in the field. Knowing conversations like the ones our faculty lead are being had on the fifth floor is amazing,” she adds.

Like all institutions, the school has opportunities for improvement, too, she says. “Students have their fingers on the pulse of the conversations that the legal field needs to be having. I think having the balance between steadfast research coming from our faculty and vibrant conversations happening among our students is incredible to watch.”

Having instructors and administration contribute to the conversations happening among students is vital, she proposes: “As students, we’re the next generation of lawyers, but there’s a current generation that’s already shaping what the law looks like. I think that when we go out into the world, there will be a few years of us riding with our training wheels … but if those established legal experts are more in touch with what the next generation is looking for in terms of reform, the transition that will occur in the next 10 years, as we evaluate long-standing traditions,” will be smoother.

VP of Academic Affairs and BLSA president Enuamaka Mkparu 20L agrees that the student voice in shaping of the law is critical: “The needs of the student body are everchanging and are a direct reflection of the [social and political] climate today.” 

Students learning from instructors learning from students. It’s Minkara’s goal for the law school and the legal field. As SBA president, she’s sought to foster connections that usher in acceptable, efficient, thoughtful change. And, while the work can be mentally exhausting to an introvert like her, she’s determined to do it before she closes the book on her time at Emory Law.