{"image":"","content":"<h1>LaToya Winfield Bellamy<\/h1>\r\n<h4><img src=\"irl:\/\/231\/\/\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: left;\" height=\"337\" width=\"300\" \/><\/h4>\r\n<h4>Acquiring the Tools for Success<\/h4>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Widener gave me what I wanted and what I needed,&rdquo; says LaToya Winfield Bellamy, Member practicing in the Business Division at Eckert Seamans Cherin &amp; Mellott, LLC., who came to law school with the desire to graduate with the tools necessary to succeed.<\/p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I do think that Widener gave me what I needed to succeed in the practice of law in the Harrisburg area,&rdquo; says LaToya, who first became interested in the law while participating in a grade school mock trial program. A summer job at a law firm in Harrisburg that continued through the summers of her undergraduate education only served to reinforce that interest. &ldquo;I saw attorneys helping people, and that really finished it for me,&rdquo; she observes.<\/p>\r\n<p>During her time on the Harrisburg campus, LaToya put her desire to help people into practice by participating in the<a href=\"ipl:\/\/263\/\/W10=\"> Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic<\/a>, which she called, &ldquo;A great experience,&rdquo; as well as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.<\/p>\r\n<p>Though she often represents corporate clients now, she never gave up that desire to help others, and she took to heart a lesson from a mentor who taught her that she could apply the same skills no matter who she was representing. &ldquo;Because you have the skills and knowledge, you can still help people,&rdquo; she notes, adding that she has enjoyed translating those skills into ways to help average people.<\/p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Widener offers a diverse curriculum to choose from while pursuing your law degree,&rdquo; LaToya says. She is quick to praise the accessibility and availability of the faculty as well, saying, &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember an instance where a faculty member wasn&rsquo;t available to me.&rdquo; She adds, &ldquo;I think that continues today. Widener is very careful about the faculty that they select.&rdquo;<\/p>\r\n<p>Her time at Widener afforded her several other important opportunities to set herself up for success, from participation in the<a href=\"ipl:\/\/262\/\/W10=\"> Intensive Trial Advocacy Program<\/a> to networking opportunities with the Greater Harrisburg legal community. She cites the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program in particular as an important experience, describing it as &ldquo;stimulating and beneficial&rdquo; because it requires students to step up and prove that they have the necessary advocacy skills.<\/p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I think that Widener produces the type of attorney that can really relate to people on their level,&rdquo; says LaToya before concluding that her legal education taught her to &ldquo;Identify the issues, find the law, and apply the law, and that comes in handy every day.&rdquo;<\/p>","box_content":"<h5>WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY?<br \/><br \/><\/h5>\r\n<p><strong>Alumni Spotlight Contact<\/strong><br \/>Natasha Lewis<br \/><a href=\"mailto:nclewis@widener.edu\">nclewis@widener.edu<\/a><\/p>"}