Career Options for Law Graduates
Tuesday, November 3, 7:00 pm - 7:45 pm EST
Featuring Mr. Ari Kaplan, Author
[You are invited] to participate in an informative online presentation (webinar) on the topic of legal careers. The featured presenter for this webinar is Mr. Ari Kaplan, author of the Amazon.com bestseller The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development.
Mr. Kaplan will provide information regarding the typical and not-so-typical career paths available to law school graduates, data and trends relating to employment and salaries of lawyers, guidance and direction to determine if law school is consistent with your career goals, and other topics.
Also presenting at this webinar is Elliot Spoon, Assistant Dean of Career Development and Professor of Law at MSU College of Law. There will be an opportunity to ask questions, via a chat function, of both Mr. Kaplan and Dean Spoon. There is no cost to attend; however, all participants must have access to the internet and a phone connection as this online meeting includes both video and audio.
Register Now (please select the registration tab)
Sincerely,
Charles W. Roboski, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid, Michigan State University College of Law.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Career Options for Law Graduates
Monday, October 19, 2009
Does my flashy vocab impress the law schools?
A. No, not really. Last week, I got a great e-mail from a UNLV Prelaw student. We'll call him Student X. This student asked me for advise on his personal statement. In it, Student X outlined the story that he planned to tell. He'd watched the relevant UNLV Prelaw Podcast episode, obviously, and he'd decided to talk about how a major senior project changed his outlook on work, time management, etc. It's a good premise. The problem wasn't really the content, though. The problem was the presentation. He explained the effect of the project in this way:
But then I had an epiphany and found more purpose in it as an ordeal that would bring me a plethora of knowledge, enhance my skill in analysis and logical design, and increase my character through diligence, optimism, and self-confidence.My first reaction to this epiphany? Yeah, right! Here's the advice I gave him:
The story is not believable. That doesn't mean that it didn't happen that way, but it's just tough to believe that this particular train of thought actually occurred during this epiphany. I have a couple of suggestions about how to communicate this more convincingly.
First, what was the cause of this epiphany? What was the breaking point or the last straw for you here? Did you maybe think well, if I don't do this, I'm not going to graduate? Or, everyone else seems to be able to do this? Why am I having such a hard time? Or maybe you had a breakthrough on the project, where something finally clicked and you realized that this was actually FUN? Maybe you saw something that helped you to realize that what you were working on might actually be useful? Whatever it is, explain it. Otherwise, it looks like a random lightning strike.
Second, how did you REALLY start to realize that you'd gain all of these big, broad, overly-general benefits from the project? What was your reaction to this epiphany, REALLY? I can almost guarantee that all of the realizations from your sentence didn't come all at the same time! After whatever the original epiphany was, you probably came to realize these other things along the way. Don't just say that you realized these things. Explain it.
For example, one of the things you mention is that you realized that this ordeal would bring you an increase in your self-confidence. How do you know that? How did you experience that? Perhaps you went to speak to your professor the next day (or week...) or you spoke with classmates, or your parents, and were discussing your project with them. You might then have been aware that your posture changed, and that you felt proud of what you were working on. Maybe you stopped apologizing for yourself, or you stopped complaining, and you started to notice some actual excitement in your voice. Don't just list all of these things. Show me!
I asked Student X for permission to use this dialogue in this blog because it illustrates a very important point. The personal statement is your opportunity to show the admissions team what you are like as a person. You get to share a slice of your personality, your struggle, your sensibilities, etc. At the same time, this is the one opportunity that you have to show your writing prowess.
It's this latter fact that throws many students off. Because most undergraduate students aren't that familiar with the "legalese" that lawyers speak, there is a tendency to feel pressured to write a personal statement that uses as many long words as possible. In my opinion, this is a mistake. The admissions folks know that any yahoo with an internet connection can access a web thesaurus. Honestly, the overuse of big words and tired cliches elicit eyerolls from admissions folks.
This doesn't mean that you should "dumb it down." You want to show your facility with language, not just with words. Tossing some SAT vocab into your personal statement doesn't demonstrate your prowess with the English language. Instead, you want to use language to paint an honest, convincing picture of the slice of your life you've chosen to share with the admissions folks. Use big words only when they are the most efficient way to express yourself. Don't use them just to use them. You want to show them why this personal statement is relevant.
For Student X, I might have suggested something like this:
As my friend left for dinner without me, I sat and stared at my project. After another day's worth of work, I still had not made any real progress. What am I doing? I felt my face flush, and a wave of fear washed over me. What if I don't finish this? What if I fail the most important assignment of my university career?
I paced around the room for a while, and then I considered the question again. Suddenly, I realized something important. This is the point! I thought about the complexity of the project, the short time frame to complete it, and the small pieces I'd already completed. I realized that it was supposed to be this hard--this frustrating. This wasn't useless, boring homework. This wasn't a plot to suck the fun out of my last year of college. This was my chance to learn how hard it is to create something from scratch.
So, what's the difference? In my story, I'm trying to show the committee what actually happened to get me to appreciate the project. The original version, while laden with long, complicated words, actually oversimplified the story. Of course, your story won't sound like this. I've used my voice here, and my voice is different from your voice. The key, though, is to walk the reader through the story.
-UNLV Prelaw
Boyd School of Law Hosts Panel Discussion with Kazakhstani Judges
Lectures/Meetings: Boyd School of Law Hosts Panel Discussion with Kazakhstani Judges - Oct. 21
Please join us at the Boyd School of Law for a special discussion of "The Relationship between the Judiciary and Executive Branches of Government in Kazakhstan" with a distinguished panel of visiting Kazakhstani judges. BSL Associate Dean Steve Johnson will give the welcome and opening remarks and Professor Dmitri Shalin of the Department of Sociology will serve as moderator. This free event is co-sponsored by the UNLV Boyd School of Law and Judge Lloyd George. No RSVP required.
Event: Panel Discussion with Kazakhstani Judges
Place: Boyd School of Law, Room 110
Event Type: Lectures/Meetings
Starts: 10/21/2009 12:30 PM
Ends: 10/21/2009 1:30 PM
-UNLV Prelaw
Friday, October 16, 2009
NEW Law School List for 10/26 Law Fair!
View 2009 UNLV Law Fair Participants in a larger map
Albany Law School of Union University
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
Arizona State University College of Law
University of Baltimore School of Law
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Yeshiva University
Boston University School of Law
Brigham Young University - J. Reuben Clark Law School
University of California Hastings College of the Law
University of California Irvine School of Law
California Western School of Law
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Chapman University School of Law
University of Colorado School of Law
Creighton University School of Law
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Drake University Law School
Drexel Earle Mack School of Law
Golden Gate University School of Law
Gonzaga University School of Law
Hamline University School of Law
Hofstra University School of Law
University of Idaho College of Law
University of Illinois, College of Law
John Marshall Law School
Loyola Law School Loyola Marymount University
University of Miami School of Law
University of Michigan Law School
University of Minnesota Law School
Mississippi College School of Law
University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law
University of Nebraska College of Law
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law
University of New Mexico School of Law
University of North Dakota School of Law
Oklahoma City University School of Law
University of Oregon Law School
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
Penn State University, The Dickinson School of Law
Phoenix School of Law
Roger Williams University Ralph R. Papitto School of Law
University of San Diego-School of Law
University of San Francisco School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law
Seton Hall University School of Law
Southern Illinois University School of Law
Southwestern University School of Law
St. Thomas University School of Law
Suffolk University Law School David J. Sargent Hall
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law
Villanova University School of Law
Washburn University School of Law
Western New England College School of Law
Western State University College of Law
Whittier Law School
Willamette University College of Law
William & Mary Law School
Come join UNLV Prelaw in welcoming these fine schools to our campus!
-UNLV Prelaw
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Deadline for 2010-2011 RA Application is Approaching!
In Housing and Residential Life, we are currently seeking applicants for our Resident Assistant/Multicultural Assistant Positions for the 2010-2011 academic term. We are currently looking for any students who will be a 2nd semester/sophomore or higher student in the Fall of 2010, who has a cumulative and semester GPA of a 2.5, and who exhibits an ability to uphold the responsibilities that are critical for a Resident Assistant or Multicultural Assistant in the Department of Housing and Residential Life. Please consider applying. You will find the position application here: http://housing.unlv.edu/downloads/RaMa_app.pdf. A position description for the RA and MA can be found here: http://housing.unlv.edu/rajob.html (Anyone applying will automatically be applying as an RA, but we allow students to indicate whether or not they are also interested in being considered for an MA on the application, and those students will also be asked specific MA related questions in their interview process). Applications are due by Thursday, October 29th at 4:30 p.m. at the Housing and Residential Life Office, located on the 1st floor of Tonopah North. All applicants will be required to participate in both a group and individual interview.
If you have any further questions about the RA/MA positions please email Alli Myers St. John at Allison.Myers@UNLV.edu.
-UNLV Prelaw
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
UNLV's Boyd Law Open House
-UNLV PrelawOpen House
Date: October 17, 2009
Location: 110 [Law School Building]
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Prospective applicants and the general public will have the opportunity to tour the law school’s facility in the heart of the UNLV campus. Come meet with law school students, alumni, faculty, and professional staff who will be on hand to chat about the Boyd School of Law and its many offerings. Learn more about:
- Course offerings
- Student activities and organizations
- The Wiener-Rogers Law Library
- The Thomas & Mack Moot Court Facility
- Career opportunities
- Application procedures
Boyd Information Sessions
Throughout the year, the William S. Boyd School of Law offers information sessions designed for individuals interested in applying to the law school. The sessions review application requirements and provide information about the Boyd School of Law.
You can make reservations by emailing Liz Karl. Content covered in each session does not vary. Check this website for dates and times. A tour of the law school will follow each session.
The Boyd School of Law [also] offers tours of our facilities immediately following each information session. Registration is not required. For information on location of the William S. Boyd School of Law, parking, and accommodations, please visit www.unlv.edu/main/visitors.
Schedule
UNLV (Las Vegas) Law School Information Sessions:
Thursday, November 12 at 4:00 pm Thomas & Mack Moot Court Facility
-UNLV Prelaw
Personal Statement Consultant--Discount
Posted on behalf of Sonel Shropshire of The Academic Network:
-UNLV PrelawFuture law school applicants,
Do you know the one thing which could increase or decrease your chances of admission into law school - the personal statement!
If you are applying to law school for fall 2010, please consider the "Personal Statement Development Package." As a 10-year former Dean of Law Admissions, I know exactly what my colleagues are looking for in a personal statement "masterpiece!" Register now at http://www.sonelshropshire.com/ on the "register" page. As soon as you register, you will receive an e-mail confirmation, along with the Personal Statement Template for your first draft. We'll get started immediately!Mention this e-mail and receive a $200 discount (regularly priced at $600). Plus, I'll thrown in the "Addendum Template" which could strengthen your application even more. There are limited spaces available for this remarkable discount, so register quickly.
Best,
SonelSonel Y. Shropshire, J.D.
President, The Academic Network, Inc.
2010 West Avenue K # 646
Lancaster, CA 93536-5229
661.945.4522 tel
info@sonelshropshire.com
Monday, October 12, 2009
Free Kaplan Sample Class @ UNLV
Posted on behalf of Jen from Kaplan Test Prep:
Hi! We're holding FREE sample classes this month. You'll learn invaluable tips and strategies to help you raise your score. Please see the attached sheet for times. Call me or come by the office [in the student union] to sign up. (Or just show up).
Come one, come all!
:)
Thanks,
Jen
Wed. October 14, 2009 5:30 – 7:30 PM @ UNLV
Jennifer Bloecker Center Manager Las Vegas Kaplan Test Prep &
Admissions (702) 798-5005 jennifer.bloecker@Kaplan.com
-UNLV Prelaw
TIPS for the UNLV Law Fair: Max it out!
The 2009 UNLV Law Fair is fast approaching! On October 26 from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm, more than 60 law schools will gather in the ballroom at the Student Union to answer your questions! Does it sound intimidating? Here with some suggestions on how to prepare yourself for the festivities is Amy Urbanek, the Prelaw Advising Coordinator at the University of Utah:
Great advice, Amy! There will be a lot going on, and it may be tempting to just wander around aimlessly. It's normal to feel a bit embarrassed about asking questions, so it's helpful to know what you want to ask ahead of time.It can seem overwhelming at first to see all those tables, but relax - the representatives are accustomed to talking about their schools and are anxious to speak with you, so don’t be nervous. There are no "dumb" questions, and as long as you are polite and interested you will come across just fine. You are not there to be interviewed by the schools. These law fair representatives attend many similar events so they are unlikely to remember you. On the other hand, do mind your manners. They will remember you if you are rude, and that won’t work in your favor. You do not need to dress up, but do look respectable.
Take advantage of this opportunity to explore. Don’t just visit the tables of schools you have already decided upon. Wander through the room and talk to as many schools as you can. You might find a hidden gem that you would otherwise have missed.
It is perfectly acceptable to ask what a school is looking for in an
applicant. Ask this same question of a number of different schools. You will find many areas of agreement, but you may also find some areas where schools differ a bit, and may even pick up a few good "insider tips".If you are speaking with an alumnus or current student from a law school rather than an admissions professional, ask them to give you "the scoop" on what it is really like to attend that school. What did they like? What didn’t they like? Do they have any tips on what it takes to be successful there? While they may not be able to provide the same level of detail on the law school’s programs, faculty, etc., the more informal information they can provide can be invaluable.
As you ask questions, make sure you keep track of each school’s answers. You don’t want to get home to find you have a wealth of good information but no idea where it all came from!
Amy's advice implies a couple of important pieces of information about the people you'll meet at the law fair. The most important piece of information is who you'll be speaking to.
Some schools will send someone from their admissions office. These people will likely have a say in who gets accepted an who does not. You'll want to ask these folks about what their ideal candidate would be, and what characteristics they hope their incoming class (as a whole) will have. You might not want to ask the sort of factual questions that you could easily have learned from their website (i.e., Which town are you in? How many students do you have? What is your US News Ranking?). You might also want to tread with caution when asking things like "How hard are the classes?" and "Who is the easiest legal writing prof?"
Other schools will send alums to the Law Fair. These are folks who have made it through the school's program and have emerged at the end of the tunnel with a J.D. in hand. These folks will not be sitting in on the admissions decisions, and they generally won't be law professors from that school, so the questions you'll ask them will be different. They might be able to give you a sense of what the admissions folks are looking for in their "ideal candidate," but they'll also be able to give you a sense of what it's actually like to be a student there. If you ask the admissions representatives about their "favorite thing about Law School X," they're likely to say something broad (and generally unhelpful, no offense), like "we place great emphasis on student diversity and we offer a quality educational setting..." Er..ok. We'd sort of figured that out ahead of time. If you ask the alums, though, they might say "I loved Professor Smith's tort class, but you'll never make it through if you don't ____," or "The library can be loud sometimes, but there's this great little spot on the third floor where the librarians hang out..."
Amy also points out that your conduct is important. You might like to think that nobody would remember you, but don't be so sure. You really don't want to be that guy. You know, the guy who says things like, "Why would anyone want to go to law school in East Lansing, Michigan? I mean, I think that my scores are probably way too high for your school, anyway." You don't want to be the guy who knocks over the admissions official's table and then laughs as she struggles to right the ship. While your good behavior might not go down in history, your bad behavior is likely to come back and bite you. You might also consider that the dress code in Vegas is a little more, er...well, permissive than elsewhere in the country. You don't need to come in a business suit, but it might help to have your midriff covered. I can't imagine that I actually have to say all of this, though, as I expect that you already knew it.
-UNLV Prelaw
JD/MELP from Northeastern and Vermont Law
Northeastern University School of Law announces a new partnership with Vermont Law School--a national leader in environmental law--to train lawyers interested in playing a critical policy and advocacy role as environmental leaders. Northeastern law students earn a JD from Northeastern and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School in the same three years that it would take to earn just the JD. The program includes a summer of advanced environmental courses at Vermont and four full-time, 11-wee co-op externships.
Working together, Northeastern and Vermont are building environmental field placements around the world. Students may also qualify for fellowship support through Northeastern's Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy.
Northeastern/Vermont join a relatively short list of schools offering formal dual degree programs in law and environmental issues. Others include Tulane's JD/MSPH (or MPH) degrees in environmental health sciences, the JD-MEPS (or MEPC or MSEPC) in environmental pollution control at Penn State, Vermont's own JD/MSEL program in environmental policy and law, and JD/MSL programs in environmental policy and law at Idaho, UC Davis and South Dakota (which also works through Vermont Law). There are several other available programs, like Stanford's JD in environmental science, Dukes JD-MS in environmental science, and several other joint degrees in environmental management, environmental studies, and the like. For more, see the NAPLA/SAPLA Law School Book of Lists.
-UNLV Prelaw
Wayne State's International Legal Studies Program
Wayne State University Law School is pleased to announce the launch of its new Program for International Legal Studies. Professor Gregory Fox has been named as Director.
International law cuts across all aspects of a Wayne State legal education. Fully one-third of Wayne Law's tenured and tenure-track faculty teaches and writes on international subjects. Those faculty members enjoy world-wide reputations as innovative and prolific scholars, publishing on the most important issues of the day. Students can take classes on a remarkable range of international topics, from international commercial transactions to international environmental law to the use of military force and the protection of human rights. And study abroad programs give students a first-hand view of other nations' legal systems and their approaches to legal education.
Wayne State Law School joins a very long list of schools with international programs. For a list of others, see the VERY helpful NAPLA/SAPLA Law School Book of Lists maintained by Boston University's Pre-Professional Advising.
-UNLV Prelaw
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
NYU's Early Decision
We wish to remind you that NYU School of Law has a binding Early Decision option for applicants who have decided that NYU is their first choice Law School. This option is open to applicants who took the LSAT by September 2009. Candidates may not apply to binding early decision options at other law schools, and those who are admitted under [NYU's] Early Decision option are obligated to withdraw their applications to other law schools immediately upon notification from NYU.
For more information, see http://www.law.nyu.edu/.
-UNLV Prelaw