Month: September 2012

Georgetown Law Interviews–Another session added tomorrow

We have just been informed that Georgetown Law has added another interview session to its group interviews tomorrow. In addition to the session at 3:00 which we previously advertised, they are adding another session from 5:00-6:00 tomorrow in downtown Chicago and some seats are still available.

These group interviews are for people applying to Georgetown this application cycle, and it’s a great opportunity to meet their Admissions Dean, Andy Cornblatt. Students interested in Georgetown are encouraged to attend.Participants will receive information about the exact location when they register.

Registration is required. Please visit Georgetown’s link to register: https://lawgeorgetown.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_86rp5vQydfFVBlP

Questions can be directed to 202-662-9015 or interview@law.georgetown.edu. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

More Law School Open Houses

Following up on last week’s posting about visiting opportunities at Illinois law schools, here is some information on law school tours, open houses and information sessions for several midwest law schools outside of Illinois.  Again — we encourage you to check out the websites of the schools on your list for more information about visiting the various campuses.

Drake University Law School: Explore the opportunities available at Drake Law School by arranging a campus visit tailored to your interests. Your visit may include sitting in on a class, meeting with an admission and financial aid counselor, visiting with a professor in your area of interest, and/or touring the Law School and Legal Clinic with a current student. 

  • To schedule your visit, call 1-800-44-DRAKE, x2782 one week in advance. The Law School Office of Admission is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Indiana University Mauer School of Law — Bloomington: Call or e-mail the Admissions Office if you’d like to attend a 1L (first-year) class and/or tour the building with a current student. Phone: (812) 855-4765
E-mail: lawadmis@indiana.edu

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law — Indianapolis: Contact the admissions office by e-mail at lawadmit@iupui.edu, or by phone at 317-274-2459.

 University of Iowa College of Law: Fall 2012 tours will be given between September 5 – November 21 at the following times:

  • Mondays and Wednesdays: Class visit at 11:30 a.m. to Criminal Procedure: Investigation with Professor James Tomkovicz and tour at 12:35 p.m.
  • To schedule a visit during the above listed times or to request a different time, contact the Admissions.  The Admissions Office is open from 8 am to 12 pm and 1 to 4:30 pm (CST) Monday through Friday, and is closed on weekends and University holidays. Please contact the Admissions Office to schedule your visit by email, law-admissions@uiowa.edu, or by phone 319-335-9095.

Marquette University Law School:  Information sessions are set for 11:45am-1:30pm on the following Fridays: September 28; October 5; October 19; November 16; November 30; and December 17.  For more information about these sessions or other visiting opportunities and to register, go to: http://law.marquette.edu/prospective-students/prospective-students-visit.  To contact the Office of Admissions about visiting the campus, you may use the online form available via the link above, or by calling (414) 288-6767.

University of Michigan Law School: For general information about visiting the law school, go here: http://www.law.umich.edu/aboutus/Pages/visiting.aspx.  Prospecitve students interested in visiting the Ann Arbor campus and taking a tour, visiting a class or meeting with an admissions counselor should schedule their visit by using the online registration system. 

During the term, the law school offers at least two student-led tours each weekday. Between terms and during the first three or four weeks of each term, the law school has tours led by an admissions staff member on a slightly more limited schedule. Fall term ends December 7. There are no classes October 15-17 or November 22‑23.

Michigan State University: The Office of Admissions welcomes prospective students and their guests to visit the Michigan State University College of Law. Visits to the College typically are 60-75-minutes in duration, include a 30-minute appointment with a member of the Admissions staff, and a 30-minute student-led tour of the College. To arrange a visit, you must complete the online form at least one week prior to the preferred visit date. Go here to register online: http://www.law.msu.edu/visit/index.php.

University of Minnesota: If you are an admitted student for Fall 2013, please contact the Office of Admissions directly at jdadmissions@umn.edu to schedule a visit. If you are a prospective student who has not yet gone through the application process, Minnesota will host weekly information sessions this fall. During a typical visit, prospective students have the opportunity to attend a small-group information session, tour Mondale Hall, and observe a first-year class (optional). All visits will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Office of Admissions, located at 229 19th Avenue South in Room 290. Visits will conclude at approximately 11:30 am. If you do not wish to attend class, please arrive at 9:45 a.m. The law school suggests scheduling visits 1-2 weeks in advance to ensure availability. Go here to register: http://www.law.umn.edu/prospective/visit.html.

Notre Dame Law School:  Admissions offers three types of visits, Weekday Visit Programs (Class Visit, Information Session, and Tour); Class Visits (Class Visit and Tour only); and an Open House (day-long informational program). You must register online. Details about each event and registration information can be found here: http://law.nd.edu/admissions/visit-nd-law/. Space is limited, so please register early.

St. Louis University School of Law: If you would like to set up a visit, contact the Admissions Office at (314) 977-2800 or admissions@law.slu.edu.

Valparaiso University: The admissions office has set the following visitor days: September:  17, 21, 28; October:  1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26; November:  2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19

To Schedule Your Visit contact the Admissions office by phone or email at:
P:  219.465.7821
E:  law.admissions@valpo.edu

Washington University School of Law-St. Louis: The School of Law Admissions Office is open Monday through Friday throughout the academic year and the summer.  The University is closed for various holidays and events.  Please contact the Admissions Office for more information. To schedule a tour, please make an appointment through the Admissions Office at 314-935-4525.  During your visit you are welcome to meet with an Admissions Counselor to talk about your application and the admissions process.

University of Wisconsin Law School: The Fall Open House will be held on Monday, October 22nd. The event includes a continental breakfast followed by building tours and class visits throughout the afternoon. Special presentations by Rebecca Scheller, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid, administrators, faculty members, and current students are also on the agenda. All attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions. To register, please email admissions@law.wisc.edu, or call the Law School Admissions & Financial Aid Office at (608) 262-5914.

Very helpful webinars hosted by MSU

Michigan State University College of Law is hosting a series of FREE and very interesting, helpful webinars on a variety of topics. Their next webinar is called Cracking the LSAT and will take place on September 27 at 6:30 Central time. They are also hosting upcoming webinars about personal statements and about MSU law specifically.

Two MSU webinars that we highly recommend are the upcoming Career Options and Market Outlook for Attorneys on November 7 at 6:30 Central time and the archived webinar on Patent Law Careers (which already took place and is hosted on their website). You can find registration information, more details about each webinar, and a full  event calendar at http://www.law.msu.edu/admissions/events.html

Take advantage of these great, free resources!

This I Believe: A great way to start your personal statement

The current “One Book, One Campus” selection is This I Believe: The personal philosophies of remarkable men and women. I’ve read this book (and several other volumes of This I Believe) and I regularly listen to the podcasts, which challenge ordinary people to distill their personal philosophies into very brief essays.

What do you believe? This could be a great way to begin writing your personal statement. I recommend checking out the book and the podcasts to spark your thinking. (You can get the book for $10.50 at the Illini Union Bookstore, and the podcasts are free if you search for them on iTunes.) It’s very hard to distill our core beliefs into one brief essay, but the value of this exercise is that it forces you to pick what beliefs are the most important to you and then try to concisely articulate why. What better way to introduce yourself to a law school than by speaking to your core values?

The Executive Director of This I Believe, Dan Gediman, is also coming to campus next Thursday, October 4 at 7:00 at the Illini Union. To find out more about this lecture and upcoming events related to the One Book, One Campus program, visit http://www.union.illinois.edu/involvement/oboc/ I hope I see you there. And I hope that this exercise helps spark your thinking about what to write on the personal statement.

 

Yale Law admissions pointers

Yale Law School recently shared with us some helpful advice and pointers about applying to their program. We are in the process of scheduling a Yale Admissions webinar for University of Illinois students, but in the meantime, check out these helpful resources for future Yalie success.

The Associate Dean of Admissions, Asha Rangappa, writes a very candid and extremely helpful blog called the (203) Admissions Blog. She writes, for example, about how to write an effective personal statement, including what she dislikes seeing. http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissions/

Yale also posts a helpful Incoming Class Profile at http://www.law.yale.edu/admissions/profile.htm.  They also indicated that roughly 80% of Yale’s incoming students have been out of college for one or more years.

In addition, Yale Law shared with us the following tips and suggestions for applying to their school. Enjoy!

YALE LAW SCHOOL
Application Tips 2012, from the Yale Law Admissions Office

1.         Timing

  • All applications must be submitted electronically.
  •  We encourage you to take the October LSAT.  If you choose to take the December or February LSAT, we will not be able to begin reviewing your file until late January or late February, respectively.
  •  We cannot hold or re-review a file for an updated LSAT score.  If you will be retaking the LSAT, please wait to release your LSAC report until all scores are on file with LSAC.
  • Your chances of admission to Yale are not affected based on when you apply.  However, applying later will mean a longer processing time and later notification of a final decision.
  • In order to avoid delays with your financial aid package, please submit your financial aid applications (FAFSA and Need Access) by March 15, 2013, even if you have not yet received a decision from us.
  • Due to our lengthy (and thorough) review process, Yale releases its decisions much later than most other law schools.  Mid-March is a typical time to receive your decision.  Our goal is to have all decisions completed by mid-April.

2.         Letters of Recommendation

  •  We strongly recommend that you submit your letters of recommendation through the Law School Credential Assembly Service (CAS).  Please do not have duplicate copies sent to the Law School.
  • Academic letters of recommendation are given the most weight in our admissions process.  We strongly recommend that students submit at least two recommendations from professors who can evaluate their academic work.
  • Once we receive all application materials and two letters of recommendation, your file will be reviewed.  We cannot hold a file for review for additional letters.  If you want to ensure that additional letters of recommendation are in your file before it is reviewed, please wait to submit your application until all of the letters are on file with LSAC.
  • Be sure to include your full name and LSAC number on all materials and correspondence (including letters of recommendation).

 3.         Personal Statements

  •  Your 250 word essay (Question 7) can be about any subject.  Some essays that have been successful in the past have been about subjects studied in school (string theory, French opera, historical movements), current events (local elections, national controversies), and personal anecdotes.  Topics like “Why I want to go to Yale,” creative writing, or abbreviated versions of personal statements are typically less successful.
  • Please note that the personal statement (Question 8) is a required part of the application.  Most students submit the personal statement they have prepared for other law schools.

4.         Other Materials

  •  You may include a resume with your application, but please answer questions 4 (scholastic honors), 5 (activities outside of school), and 6 (activities since graduation) separately.  Not providing these answers will delay the completion of your application.
  • Yale does not require a dean’s certification form as part of the application.  Admitted students will be required to submit a Dean’s Certification after deposit; all admission offers are contingent upon the student’s Dean’s Certifications matching the self-disclosures provided in the character and fitness section of the application.

 

 

 

Legal Internship at University Counsel’s Office

We are pleased to announce this excellent opportunity for pre-law students–a new legal internship on campus!

The Office of University Counsel at the University of Illinois seeks an undergraduate intern to work in its Urbana office approximately 10-20 hours per week during the academic year.  The University of Illinois serves the people of Illinois and the world through missions of excellence in teaching, research, public service and economic development. The Office of University Counsel provides a broad range of legal advice and representation to the Board of Trustees, the University President, the Chancellors at each campus and other University and campus administrators.

This paid position presents an excellent opportunity for a student to be exposed to the everyday workings of a dynamic in-house legal office and develop a greater understanding of the practice of law.  Responsibilities may include: (1) document organization (e.g. filing, scanning, copying) for a wide variety of transactional, litigation, corporate governance or other matters; (2) supporting attorneys and administrative staff in comprehensive filing reorganization project (paper and electronic); (3) occasional information gathering and general research tasks; (4) delivering materials/documents to clients, courts of law, law offices and other locations; (5) assisting with organization and management of substantial legal library and research resources; and (6) other general support of various office functions.

Preference will be given to applicants who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, and who demonstrate strong communication and research skills. Interested applicants should submit: (1) a cover letter expressing interest and sharing relevant skills; (2) a current résumé ; and (3) a list of three references to Pre-Law Advising Services by Wednesday, September 26 at 12:00 noon at the address below.  Aplicants may drop off application materials to the receptionist anytime between 9:00 and 4:30. We cannot accept email submissions.

Pre-Law Advising Services
Re: University Counsel Internship
807 S. Wright Street, Floor 5
Champaign IL 61820

Questions only may be directed to ccaas-prelaw@illinois.edu with “University counsel internship” in the subject line.

More opportunities for pre-law students: Jurors, witnesses, and an internship fair!

Here are three great opportunities for pre-law students.

1. This is a great opportunity to help a law student and see what trial advocacy classes are like!
Volunteers are needed to sit as jurors and hear opening statements from U. of I. College of Law students enrolled in the Trial Advocacy Program from 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 16, 17 & 18 at the Champaign County Courthouse. You can volunteer for one night or more. Opening statements are from a homicide & a serious personal injury case. Contact: Julie Campbell, jjhill@illinois.edu or 333-5842

2. And, for those of you who enjoy acting…College of Law Trial Advocacy volunteer witnesses are needed. Volunteers are needed to play expert witnesses for the U. of I. College of Law Trial Advocacy class from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 2, 3 & 4 at the Champaign County Courthouse. You can volunteer for one night or more. You will be given a script for your role and all the information you need the night you volunteer. No outside work or info is needed. Contact: Julie Campbell, jjhill@illinois.edu or 333-5842.

3. Looking for an internship? Check out the Sociology Internship Fair this Friday, Sept. 21, 1-3pm in 3057 Lincoln Hall.  All Majors Welcome! Spring and Summer Internships available in a variety of settings –check out a list of who’s coming on the website:

 http://www.sociology.illinois.edu/undergrad/fair/Fall2012SociologyInternshipFair.html

 

Gifts to the first 25 students who arrive!

“What should I be doing now?” For fall applicants

The most common refrain we hear this time of year is from applicants asking “what should I be doing now?” We’re glad you asked!

1. If you are taking the October LSAT then right now is all-LSAT-and-nothing-but-the-LSAT-time! We’re  less than three weeks from the LSAT, which means that you will want to really focus on your LSAT prep above all else. At this point, we suggest that you set aside those personal statements and essays to focus exclusively on LSAT prep. The only exception is…

2. Get your letters of recommendation NOW, whether you are taking the October LSAT or not. If you are applying this fall and you still don’t have your letters of recommendation locked up, do this immediately! Right now! Don’t even finish reading this paragraph. Just go talk to your recommenders this very second. Expect it to take at least 4-8 weeks for the recommender to write the letter, send it in, and for the LSAC to process it.

3. Explore the admissions websites and blogs of schools that interest you. Many law schools host VERY helpful blogs and even tweet updates about their admissions process. (For example, the Dean of Admissions at Yale Law School recently wrote some blog entries about what she likes/doesn’t like in personal statements here http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissions/archive/tags/P.S.+Boot+Camp/default.aspx .) It is important to understand that while there are qualities that every law school likes to see, each law school is also a bit unique in what it values. Some schools may value work experience, others are more community service oriented, and still others may prefer to see international experience. These admissions websites, blogs, and Twitter accounts can give a LOT of insight into what the school–and the admissions dean–is interested in hearing, as well as what’s “been there, done that” for them.

4. If you are finished with the LSAT (yay!), then it’s time to work on your personal statement and your supplemental essays. Log into your CAS account and open the applications of the schools that interest you. (It’s okay, the schools won’t see your application until you click “submit”, so you can open the application as many times as you want.) Look at the prompts each school gives for personal statements and look at the supplemental essays they want you to submit. Make a list of all the supplemental essays you will need.

Brainstorm about your personal statement. What do you have to offer a law school? What are your career aspirations? What meaningful experiences have you had? If you’re having trouble getting started, attend one of our Personal Statement Workshops; you can view them all and register at http://illinois.edu/calendar/list/2508

5. When you have written a draft, set up a personal statement review appointment. The challenge for applicants is that you haven’t done this before, and you don’t know what the rest of the applicant pool’s essays look like. As Pre-Law Advisors, we’ve read hundreds (maybe thousands?) of essays, and we can tell you exactly how this essay compares to the pool. We can also help troubleshoot, brainstorm ideas, offer suggestions for better structure and flow of the essay, and comment on the tone of the essay. (Note that we do not edit the essay or provide proofreading services. Mechanics and grammar are at the discretion of the student.)

To set up a personal statement appointment, call 333-9669. Then, email your personal statement to the advisor two business days before the appointment so that we can review it and give it some thought prior to appointment time. You can also email your resume for review at the same time.

6. Order your transcripts. Remember that you must provide a transcript from each undergraduate institution you attended, even if you just took a summer class at a community college. It can take some time to coordinate with all of the Registrars at other colleges; do yourself a favor and start now. You can find more information about that process here http://www.lsac.org/jd/apply/cas-requesting-transcripts.asp

We are hosting a workshop on Applying to Law School on Monday, September 24 at 4:00 in 161 Noyes to discuss specific details about the application process, working with the LSAC, and strategizing about your application plan. Check it out at http://illinois.edu/calendar/list/2508. See you there!

 

 

 

University of Iowa Prospective Student Day September 21

We just received this information about the University of Iowa College of Law Prospective Student Day. Note that RSVPs are due this Monday, Sept. 17.

From the Dean of Admissions at the University of Iowa College of Law:
The University of Iowa is coordinating a Prospective Students’ Day at the College of Law on Friday, September 21, 2012.  This event is a wonderful opportunity for you and your students to visit our facilities, receive a tour of the College of Law, and learn more about our career services process, our curriculum and the admissions process.  You will also have a chance to interact with faculty, staff, current students and the vibrant community of Iowa City.  More information about Prospective Students’ Day can be found at www.law.uiowa.edu.

To send an RSVP for Prospective Students’ Day, please contact Ms. Amy Beier at amy-beier@uiowa.edu by September 17.

Also, I hope that you or your students will visit the University of Iowa College of Law’s web site:  www.law.uiowa.edu.  You will find it both comprehensive and informative.  You can also contact the Office of Law Admissions directly to arrange for a visit to the Law School.  Our email address is law-admissions@uiowa.edu.  You can also contact us by telephone at 319-335-9095.  We will be able to set up a law school class visit, an individual tour of the College of Law, or a meeting with an admissions officer.

Students who are interested in UIowa are encouraged to attend or set up another visit.

Open House Round Up

The law schools are beginning to announce their fall open houses as well as their tour and information session schedules.  This is an excellent opportunity for you to visit some of those schools on your list  and get a sense for what the student experience is like at each institution. Check the law schools’ websites for more information about open houses and tours.  Here are some Illinois law schools that have begun advertising their events.

The John Marshall Law School — Open Houses Based on a sample itinerary, it appears that these sessions begin around 9am and go to approximately 1pm, featuring mock classes, tours and opportunities to chat with current JMLS students. 

Saturday, October 13, 2012; Saturday, November 17, 2012

For more information and to register for an open house at JMLS, go to: http://www.jmls.edu/admission/jd/visiting.asp.

In addition, the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution at the John Marshall Law School is inviting interested UIUC students to participate in an “All-Star Advocacy” workshop at their Chicago campus on select Fridays during the fall semester from 11am-3pm.  Participants will have the opportunity to participate in this specially designed workshop, tour the newly-remodeled JMU facility, be treated to lunch and then observe one of JMU’s trial teams in pre-competition preparation.  This program will be offered on the following dates:

September 28; October 5; October 12; October 19; October 26; November 2; and  November 9.  If you are interested in attending any of these events, please contact Chase Grusczka at either: CGRUSZK@law.jmls.edu or (630) 319-3942 with your R.S.V.P.

Northern Illinois University Law School — Open Houses 

For more information, go to: http://www.niu.edu/law/admission/on-campus_recruitment.shtml

September 22: 

October 26:

  • Fall Open House and Class Visit
    NIU DeKalb, Room TBD
    DeKalb, IL
    8:30-11:30 a.m.

November 3:

  • Fall Open House and Mock Class
    NIU DeKalb, Room TBD
    DeKalb, IL
    9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

November 9:

  •  Fall Open House and Class Visit
    NIU DeKalb, Room TBD
    DeKalb, IL
    8:30-11:30 a.m.

Most of the remaining Illinois law schools have information on their websites about upcoming information sessions and tours.  Several schools require the completion of an online form to schedule a visit.  Make sure you follow the instructions given by each school.