Suggestions for Fall 2020 Courses

Per the Office of the Registrar, the Fall 2020 time ticket release and registration schedule is as follows:

Summer/Fall 2020 registration has been delayed by two weeks. Time tickets will be available to be viewed on April 6.

Priority registration begins April 20. Initial registration dates/times for fall will approximate what was previously in place in terms of spacing, with dates moved back by two weeks.

Registration is almost here, which means pre-law students are asking: What courses should I take? As you know, students in ANY major can attend law school, and there are NO specifically required courses for pre-law undergrads. Law schools do not require any particular major or coursework. However, given an interest in law, here are some fall courses that pre-law students may find particularly helpful and interesting. These courses are only suggestions and are NOT requirements. For some additional information about course planning, go here to check out an earlier blog post with some good tips about planning your schedule.

CHART FORMAT: Want to see these suggestions in a handy chart format? Click here: Fall 2020 Class Chart

Some of these courses have prerequisites; check Course Explorer and speak to your academic advisor about the best courses for you.

ACE 240: Personal Financial Planning. Understanding financial instruments, records, and tax implications is critical for nearly all lawyers.

ACE 306: Food Law. Explores the legal and political dimensions of food law, policy and trad in the United States and major trading partners.

ACE 406: Environmental Law. Examination of environmental law issues, including pollution control, the role of administrative agencies and courts, and federal and state power.

ADV 310: Intro to Public Relations Introduces the student to the practice and profession of public relations. Course material covers topics such as the history of public relations, the role of law and ethics in public relations, and theories that guide public relations research and practice.

AIS 214/PS 214: American Indian Law and Politics. Examines the role of American Indians and Indian law in the US political system.

ANTH 246: Forensic Science. History and theory underlying methods used in forensic science. Topics include the courtroom, the units of a crime laboratory and the analysis of evidence collected from a crime scene, such as blood, fibers, hair and fingerprints.

BTW 263: Writing in the Disciplines teaches very practical writing skills for aspiring professionals. This spring’s topic is Cross-Cultural Communication.

BTW 271: Persuasive Writing examines persuasive writing in a variety of contexts including ads, argumentative essays, proposals, and campaigns.

CHLH Community Health 101: Introduction to Public Health and 210: Community Health Organizations are both good options for those interested in pursuing healthcare law.

Communication courses are helpful, as all lawyers must demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills. Here are some examples of helpful courses:

CMN 101: Public Speaking (this is a prereq for most upper level CMN courses)
CMN 211: Business Communication
CMN 220: Communicating Public Policy
CMN 230: Intro to Interpersonal Communication
CMN 232: Intro to Intercultural Communication
CMN 260: Intro to Health Communication (for those interested in healthcare law)
CMN 323: Argumentation

ECON 484: Law and Economics Applications of economic theory to problems and issues in both civil and criminal law and the effect of legal rules on the allocation of resources; includes property rights, liability and negligence assignment, the use of administrative and common law to mitigate market failure, and the logic of private versus public law enforcement.

EDUC 202: Social Justice, School, and Society Examines the nature of justice and the dynamics of a pluralistic society to derive a conception of social justice.

ENGL 360: Environmental Writing for students interested in environmental law. Write about food, water, and energy resource systems. Students will also have the opportunity to meet working journalists and to practice professional skills like interviewing, conducting historical research, and drafting pitch letters.

ESE 210: Social & Environmental Issues for those interested in environmental law. Same as GEOG 210.

FIN 241: Fundamentals of Real Estate. A survey of real estate finance, appraisal, investment, law, brokerage, management, development and economics. Special attention is given to the analysis of aggregate real estate and mortgage markets, to the individual transactions within these markets, and to the legal and institutional factors which affect these markets.

FSHN 101: Intro to Food Science & Human Nutrition for those interested in food regulation or public policy related to food or nutrition. Discusses the evolution of the food system to meet the needs and desires of a complex, heterogeneous society. Provides an overview of food in relation to nutrition and health, composition and chemistry, microbiology, safety, processing, preservation, laws and regulations, quality, and the consumer.

GEOG 101: Global Development & Environment and GEOG 210: Social & Environmental Issues for those interested in international or environmental law and public policy.

GLBL 260: Global Human Rights Examines how ideas about human rights are defined and how they are differentially deployed. Looks at human rights claims and crises, and examines how governmental and non-governmental individuals and organizations have sought to deal with human rights violations in order to address problems of justice, retribution, and reconciliation at personal, national, and international levels.

HDFS 120: Intro to Family Studies and SOCW 200: Intro to Social Work. Both of these courses may be of interest to students who want to be advocates for families, juveniles, the elderly, or other vulnerable populations.

HIST 281: Constructing Race in America. Interdisciplinary examination of the historical, cultural, and social dimensions of race and ethnicity in the United States. Explores the complex and intricate pursuit of multiracial and multicultural democracy.

INFO 303: Writing Across Media, a skill that all legal careers integrate and value.

JOUR 311: Media Law. Detailed analysis of the theories of freedom of expression, the legal doctrines of greatest concern to mass communicators, and contemporary issues related to free speech and press, including libel, copyright, and news-gathering in a digital age.

LER 100: Intro to Labor Studies for those interested in corporate or employment law. Looks at economic, political, and workplace issues facing working people, why and how workers join unions, how unions are structured and function, and how unions and management bargain a contract. Provides a historical overview of the American labor movement, and discusses the contemporary struggles workers and unions face in a rapidly changing global economy.

LER 120: Contemporary Labor Problems for those interested in corporate or employment law. Focuses on problems and challenges facing American workers and the U.S. labor movement. Topics include the deterioration of the labor-management “social contract” in recent decades; a review of labor and employment law; the health care crisis; globalization and cross-border union alliances; and union democracy.

LER 320: Gender, Race, Class and Work. Provides a historical and contemporary overview of the impact and interplay of gender, race, class and other issues of identity in the workplace. Topics include: pay gap, workplace harassment and employment discrimination laws.

LLS 468: Latinas/os & the Law. Examines the Latina/Latino experience in the U.S. Students will come to understand that the law is a deeply contested social space that is central to U.S. hierarchies based upon race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, class, immigration status, and religion.

NRES courses that can be helpful for students interested in pursuing environmental law include:

NRES 102: Intro to Natural Resources and Environmental Science

NRES 224: Social Justice and Environment and Society

PHIL 102/103: Logic & Reasoning. Especially helpful for students who have yet to take the LSAT, as two sections of the LSAT are based on logical and analytical reasoning.

PHIL 104/105: Intro to Ethics. Basic exploration of ethics, including the relationship between social morality and the law.

PHIL 107: Intro to Political Philosophy. Introduction to core ideas in political and legal philosophy, for example, rights, equality, political obligations, legitimacy of states, nationalism, and oppression.

PHIL 436: Philosophy of Law and of the State. Examination of issues in the philosophy of law, such as the nature of law, law and morality, justice, liberty and authority, punishment, and legal responsibility. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.

Political Science options to gain a foundational understanding of our legal system and its role within broader political structures include the following. Review course restrictions for prerequisites.

PS 220: Intro to Public Policy
PS 280: Intro to International Relations
PS 301: US Constitution I
PS 313: Congress and Foreign Policy
PS 329: Immigration & Citizenship

PS 491: Internship with the Champaign County Public Defender’s Office. Note: Due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and the policy of social distancing, the plan is to go through the selection process for this internship in mid May, after students have completed their registration, in the event that the internship is not available next semester.

Are you interested in how criminal courts work? Would you like to see an arraignment, a motion hearing, or a real criminal trial? Want to meet with Public Defender clients and help an attorney prepare cases for court? The Department of Political Science and the Champaign County Public Defender’s Office will offer an internship for academic credit in Spring, 2020. In this internship, students will earn 3 hours of credit for their work in the Public Defender’s Office combined with a series of structured academic assignments requiring integration of internship experiences with readings on the political systems, the legal system and constitutional and human rights. This class requires one hour of class time per week, and about six hours per week of work at the internship site. Admission is competitive: We expect to have five openings for Fall of 2020.

To apply: No date has been set but will be after students have completed their Fall 2020 registration. Please keep checking back for information. Students seeking to participate in the Public Defender Internship Program must submit an application online. The online link to the application will be available in early May. PLAS will update students with that info as it is made available. The application consists of a cover letter, informal transcript, resume and writing sample. All of those materials will be reviewed for a decision on acceptance into the program by the departmental internship committee. At a minimum, students seeking to participate in this program need (1) to have completed 45 credit hours by Fall, 2020 (2) with at least one year of residence on this campus and (3) to have earned a cumulative UIUC grade point average of 3.0 or higher. They must (4) have completed PS 101: U.S. Government & Politics and (5) have no arrests or criminal convictions – as an adult or juvenile – or serious campus disciplinary violations involving campus or local law enforcement.

PSYCH 144: Stereotypes, Prejudice & Discrimination

Sociology has a Criminology, Law and Society minor. These courses may be helpful for students exploring criminal legal issues and the criminal justice system on a societal level, such as:

SOC 275: Criminology
SOC 378: Sociology of Law
SOC 479: Law and Society

UP 160: Race, Social Justice, and Cities. Explore everyday racial conflicts in selected cities as expressions of historical struggles for social and spatial justice, across multiple scales. Focus on the governance of routine social practices ranging from policing, to education, to gentrification and memorialization in public places.

More courses to explore different areas of law include the following. Some have restrictions; check Course Explorer.

ACE 403: Agricultural Law
GEOG 210: Social & Environmental Issues
RST 354: Legal Aspects of Sport
SE 400 Engineering Law (only pre-req is RHET 105 but preference is given to students in the College of Engineering with leftover seats released after a restricted period)

Business classes can provide a helpful foundation for those interested in corporate careers, however, most are restricted to College of Business majors or minors. Some courses will release any leftover seats after a restricted period; check Course Explorer for more details.

BADM 300 Legal Environment of Business
BADM 314 Leading Negotiations
BADM 340: Ethical Dilemmas of Business
BADM 380: International Business
BADM 403: Corporate & Commercial Law

Remember that these are only suggestions and that people come to law school from a variety of academic disciplines. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Courses get added all the time, and many are added after we publish this list. Many other great courses can be found in Course Explorer, some of which have prerequisites. Do additional research and talk with your academic advisor to identify other good options for you.

Mark Your Calendars – Updates for March 23

Hello Pre-Law Students! Obviously, as we continue to navigate this new world of physical distancing, and given Governor Pritzker’s “Stay-At-Home” Order, there will be no on campus activities or programs for the rest of this semester. However, various campus offices, like PLAS, will be providing additional and expanded online resources for students. Below are a few we know about. PLEASE check the websites of all campus offices of interest to you to see what these offices are offering. Also – our “Suggestions for Fall 2020 Courses” blog will be posted next Monday, March 30, so don’t forget to check it out!!

National and International Scholarship Program

In late March and early April, the National and International Scholarship Program will be hosting information sessions for undergraduate students across colleges and fields to learn about some nationally competitive scholarship opportunities. All information sessions will be held online. We hope you will share this with your students!

Information Sessions for juniors and seniors (students graduating before August 2021) will be held the week of March 23rd. For juniors and seniors, or any students graduating before August 2021, information sessions will focus on how to apply for June priority application deadlines, including many scholarships for study or research beginning in the fall of 2021.

Monday, March 23rd: 2:30-3:00, 3:00-3:30 or 4:00-4:30 pm

Tuesday, March 24th: 3:00-3:30 or 3:30-4:00 pm

Thursday, March 26th: 8:30-9:00 am

Friday, March 27th: 1:30-2:00 or 2:00-2:30 or 4:00-4:30 pm

Juniors and seniors can access webinars at the above times using this link.

<https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/745216c357eb4cb7968973c622cd2b6e>

Information Sessions for freshmen and sophomores (students graduating after August 2021) will be held the week of March 30th. For first and second year undergraduates, or any students graduating after August 2021, sessions will focus on what students should be doing to strengthen their candidacy for various awards.

Monday, March 30th: 1:30-2:00, 2:00-2:30 or 3:00-3:30 pm

Wednesday, April 1st: 1:00-1:30 or 1:30-2:00 pm

Thursday, April 2nd: 3:00-3:30 or 3:30-4:00 pm

Friday, April 3rd: 2:30-3:00, 3:00-3:30 or 4:00-4:30 pm

Freshmen and sophomores can access webinars at the above times using this link.

<https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/932618c51d9540218ce80ab9bb68ac6c>

Writers Workshop

The Writers Workshop will continue to support your students. We have online consultations available to provide writing feedback; we have a number of useful resources on our website; and we are available for virtual class presentations and collaborations by request through Zoom or other interfaces.

Career Center

The Career Center continues to offer services to students, including online resume and cover letter reviews. Go here to learn more and to schedule an appointment.

Pre-Law Advising Services – COVID-19 Update

As I posted earlier today on Facebook, given all of the concerns over the Coronavirus/COVID-19, and the University’s commitment to practicing social distancing, effective immediately, all appointments with our office will be conducted via the telephone and all scheduling should be through our online scheduling portal here: https://prelaw.illinois.edu/appointments. Once you have scheduled an appointment, you will receive an email with instructions and call in information. This policy includes appointments that have already been scheduled. Note – although we will have a few more blog posts, including our highly anticipated “Suggested Courses for Fall 2020”, Facebook will serve as our primary form of group communication from this point forward so please keep checking back here for updates. All students are, of course, welcome to email an advisor with questions. Judy Argentieri’s email is jargenti@illinois.edu; Alex Gil’s email is agil6@illinois.edu. And finally, do not forget to use our main website, www.prelaw.illinois.edu, and particularly our “Pre-Law Handbook,” as a starting point for a quick answer to your question(s).

Thank you for your patience and cooperation and please stay safe!

Spring Break Plans for Pre-Law Students!

How can you maximize your spring break? First things first: Get some sleep, watch Netflix, visit your family and friends. Then take a look at these lists to be super productive and make the rest of your semester SO much easier.

Complete your FAFSA if you haven’t already. This is how financial aid for federal loans for summer/fall will be determined, whether you are an undergrad or an incoming law student.

Registration Advice: For help on selecting pre-law courses, check out our blog post Guide to selecting pre-law coursework for Illinois students! Also, keep a lookout for our blog post about our suggested courses for the fall!

Freshmen and Sophomores:

Apply for Summer Jobs and Internships. Do you have summer plans locked down? If not, apply for jobs and internships. Check out our internship newsletter over on our Compass page. We’ve also listed LOTS of internships on our Facebook page and on our blog! Use the search box on either of these to find internships. You should also be checking Handshake regularly (or set it to email you when new listings appear).
Apply to Summer Pre-Law Programs. These are typically 4-week residential programs to teach the basics of law and how to prepare for law school, and most are free and come with a stipend for selected students. We have been posting these all spring on our blog and Facebook page. Take a look at the Summer Pre-Law Programs spreadsheet on our Compass page, listing over 40 summer programs, for even more opportunities. Note: Some deadlines have passed and others are April 1, so apply SOON.
Take a practice LSAT. Not ready to take the real LSAT yet but wondering what it’s all about? Go to this website to download a free practice test. When you’re done, you can score it and watch videos there with explanations of the answers. Want to take more practice LSATs? You can purchase books of 10 previously administered LSATs like this one at Amazon or another bookseller, or used on ebay.
Job shadow, or ask a lawyer to spend 30 minutes doing an informational interview with you. Don’t be intimidated; this is an opportunity for you to buy him/her coffee and ask about their professional life. Here’s a resource for planning your informational interview.
Get caught up. Use this time to catch up on studying and prepare for finals–those grades are very important to law schools!

Pre-Law Students and Alumni Applying This Fall:

Make your LSAT plans.
- Taking the June LSAT? You should already have selected your prep option and started studying. Spring break is a great time to crank up your LSAT studying. Tip: REGISTER FOR THE JUNE LSAT NOW, because the popular test sites fill up around spring break each year.
- Taking the September LSAT? Now is the time to research LSAT prep options. Check out the LSAT Preparation folder over on our Compass page for information on free LSAT resources as well as listings of popular LSAT prep companies.
Decide who will be your recommendation writers. You will want to approach them by this May/June (at the end of THIS semester) so that they have plenty of time to write the letter and your performance is still fresh in their mind. If you are an alum, reach out ASAP because the longer you wait the more difficult it is to track people down and for them to remember you.
Register for the Credential Assembly Service. This is the account you will need to open in order to have your recommendation letters processed. Once you set it up, your account is good for five years. You can read all about it here.
Mark your calendars. We have upcoming workshops just for you that you should plan to attend. Find them all on our Event Calendar.

Seniors taking a gap year (or two) prior to law school:

It’s still a good idea to decide who on campus can write your recommendations, and approach them by the end of this semester. If you wait a year or more the professor is sometimes gone, on sabbatical, retired, etc., so it’s better to get them now. Register for the Credential Assembly Service as listed above so that you can send the letters into your account.
We will have a special workshop about Taking a Gap Year Before Law School on March 25th from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building. This workshop will cover how you can maximize your postgraduate time to make yourself an even better law school candidate, and we will share a timeline and game plan for applying to law school as a working professional. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from current law students who worked prior to law school.

Seniors and alumni headed to law school this fall:

Complete your FAFSA! Your federal loans will not be disbursed without it.
Make final visits to law schools/attend admitted student days. If you’ve decided where to attend, then withdraw from the other schools that have admitted you so that they can offer that seat/scholarship to someone else.
Apply for scholarships. We’ve posted lots of scholarships in our blog and over on our Compass page! When you know which law school you are attending, ask your law school financial aid office about scholarship opportunities.

On Campus Events

Taking a Gap Year Before Law School Event – Wednesday, March 25, 2020, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm. at 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building

Nationwide, the average law student has taken one or more gap year(s) after undergrad before applying to law school. Whether you are planning to go straight through to law school after undergrad is over or looking at one or more years before law school, this workshop will help you prepare for that next step. What do people do during their gap years? How does taking a gap year or going straight through influence your law school experience? Hear from our panel of current law students from the University of Illinois College of Law and learn more about the pros and cons of both choices–as well as how you can maximize each option–to help you decide the path you want to take to get to law school. Bring your questions for the panelists!

Peace Corps General Information Meeting – Tuesday March 10th, 5:00 – 6:00 pm. The Career Center, Conference Room 143, 715 S. Wright St., Champaign

i-Programs have been the cornerstone initiative of the ILC since opening our doors. Designed as six-hour seminars (typically on Saturdays), these programs focus on a particular aspect of leadership practice. These programs aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge to help them become career ready.

Students can attend these seminars at no cost, but they must register for the program since space is limited and food is provided.

To learn more and register, visit http://leadership.illinois.edu/i-programs

Job & Internship Roundup

Job & Internship Opportunities for Pre-Law Students

For those of you who have not yet secured a job or internship this summer, do not fret, there are still opportunities available! But now is the time to secure those summer jobs and internship positions. For some tips on applications, interviews, and other important things to do to make sure you land the perfect summer internship check out our blog post.

llini Career and Internship Fair, Thursday, April 2, 12pm-5pm, at the ARC!!

This career fair is open to all disciplines and is designed to serve as a “just-in-time” fair for students that have yet to secure a summer internship or full-time job after graduation.

Utilize Campus Resources!

The Career Center hosts great events for finding an internship. Click Here!
The Office of Student Financial Aid offers a Virtual Job Board intended to assist you in finding part-time employment. Click Here!
Make sure you are registered to use Handshake@Illinois. This resource helps connect you with employers looking for interns and other full time jobs. To register, Click here.
Get resume tips and get your resume reviewed. The Career Center offers tips for writing a resume. The Career Center also offers resume reviews.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Legal Internship Opportunity — Holder Law Group, LLP

Holder Law Group, LLP, a young law firm in Champaign-Urbana, is looking for interns who want to be involved in a fast paced, high-tech, multi-area, legal environment. Holder Law Group engages in personal injury, medical malpractice, and civil litigation. Attorneys at Holder Law Group have had experience in both public and private sectors of work, including small and large law firms and are happy to share their knowledge and experience. Interns jobs will vary, and be assigned based on capabilities, but may include medical record organization, filing, abstracting depositions, assisting in trial preparations, Court filings, and attending depositions and Court hearings and legal marketing. Work times are flexible and we are willing to work around your academic schedule. Positions are available for fall, spring, and summer semesters as well as during breaks. Please email resumes and cover letters to Ms. Betsy Holder: Betsy@holderlawllp.com

Legal Intern: Car Freshener Corporation

CAR-FRESHNER’s Legal Department is a small, dynamic team responsible for protecting the trademarks, copyrights, and patents associated with the LITTLE TREES air fresheners around the world. This is an entry level position and requires no legal experience.

Responsibilities:

Researches infringers in assigned region of the world
Recommends resolution strategies and negotiates settlements
Coordinates legal efforts with in-market attorneys
Drafts file summaries and reviews legal briefs
Conducts online research
Maintains legal files

Skills and Experience:

College Sophomore or Junior actively enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited college or university

Program Details:

Our Summer Internship Program allows interns to gain experience by working on a small team, within a designated department. Interns have exposure to a wide range of projects, and we provide excellent training and mentoring. This program follows our Monday through Friday corporate work schedule.

For more information, or to apply visit jobs.littletrees.com

CAREER CENTER

INTERNSHIP: State Department Information Session

The Career Center offers regular opportunities for resume, cover letter and Linked In reviews. In addition, here is one workshop that might be of interest to those of you considering international law.

For a complete list of upcoming Career Center events, go here.

And check out the PLAS Facebook page and Compass Page for NEW internship opportunities, summer programs and more!

Mark Your Calendars – Week March 2

PLAS PROGRAMS

Taking a Gap Year Before Law School Event – Wednesday, March 25, 2020, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm. at 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building

Pre-Law Events

The Pre-Law Honors Society is will be hosting an LSAT Basics Session with LSATMax on March 3rd from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. at Gregory Hall Room 111. The event will be led by a veteran LSATMax instructor who scored in the 99th percentile on the LSAT and graduated from UCLA Law. This session will cover everything from what the LSAT test to how it is scored and you’ll even get to practice on some real LSAT questions. Plus all attendees will get a discount on LSATMax courses or tutoring. Bring your friends too because there will be free pizza.

*PLAS does not endorse any commercial LSAT prep company*

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Legal Internship Opportunity — Holder Law Group, LLP

Undergrad PAID Internship at UIUC in Environmental Humanities for 2020 — 2021 Applications due TODAY MONDAY, March 2, 2020!

Environmental Humanities is environmental studies from a humanistic standpoint. Envrionmental Humanities pulls from different movements (environmental philosophy, environmental history, ecocriticism, cultural geography, anthropology, and others) to study the relationship between humans and non-human nature, past and present. The IPRH-Mellon Environmental Humanities Research Group is composed of professors, post-doctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates from different disciplines who are united by their desire to understand the human place in nature, as well as to examine critically the way people make meaning of it.

The research group seeks three undergraduate interns who will work with the group on their seminars, workshops, and programs for the academic year 2020-2021. Interns will also work with the research group director, Professor A. Naomi Paik, to develop their own research projects as well as a research symposium for undergraduates at the end of the spring semester.

Interns will work approximately 10-11 hours per week, paid at the rate of $15.75 per hours, and will have up to $600 to support their research. Applicants must be juniors or seniors the year of the internship. For more information and to apply, go here. Remember: The application deadline is 5:00pm on Monday, March 2! Please address questions to: Dr. Nancy Castro, at ncastro@illinois.edu.

CAREER CENTER

INTERNSHIP: State Department Information Session

For a complete list of upcoming Career Center events, go here.

LAW SCHOOL EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Minnesota Pre-Law Scholars Summer Program – Applications Due March 6!

Minnesota Pre-Law Scholars (MPLS) is a program that offers a select number of students a free LSAT prep class each summer at the University of Minnesota Law School. Admission is highly selective and based on a holistic review of the MPLS application material.

College students considering law school, especially rising seniors and those from groups historically underrepresented in law school, are encouraged to apply. The program is open to undergraduate students and recent graduates from any undergraduate institution.

Students will learn about law school admissions preparation from Minnesota Law School staff. The remaining portion of class, taught by an instructor from The Princeton Review, will be dedicated to LSAT preparation and practice exams. Some daytime events such as law firm visits will also be offered. Three (3) excused absences will be allowed during the summer session.

There is no cost to participate in MPLS. However, participants must submit a $100 seat deposit which is fully refundable upon successful completion of the program. All books and study materials will be provided. The program will run from June to mid-August 2020.

To learn more about MPLS or to apply, click on this link:

https://www.law.umn.edu/admissions/minnesota-pre-law-scholars-mpls-program

SCHOLARSHIPS

Fred S. Bailey Unpaid Internship Scholarship Program – Applications Due April 7

The University YMCA’s Fred S. Bailey Unpaid Internship Scholarship program provides scholarship funding to students who accept unpaid internships with public service agencies and not for profit organizations. These internships provide an opportunity for students to complement their academic preparation with direct practical experience. The effort to combine a productive work experience with an intentional learning component is a proven method for promoting the academic, personal, and career development of students.

Students will be selected on the basis of their demonstrated commitment to community development, service, and activism and the internship’s potential impact on the student’s learning and professional development as well as financial need.

Award Amount: The University YMCA’s Fred S. Bailey Unpaid Internship Scholarship program provides $1000 scholarships for part-time unpaid internships and $2500 for full-time unpaid internships. A full-time internship shall be defined as any internship that requires 30 or more work hours/week on average. A part-time internship shall be defined as an internship that requires less than 30 work hours/week on average but a minimum of 125 total work hours over the course of the internship. The minimum length of both part-time and full-time internships to be funded is 8 weeks. Awards are made directly to the student, not the organization sponsoring the internship.

Eligibility/Qualifications: The internship must meet certain criteria as listed below.

Internship activities that are eligible for funding: program development; fundraising; projects; generating marketing plans; designing posters; conducting studies and surveys; developing presentations; creating social media sites; preparing budgets and financial reports & more!

Internship activities that are ineligible for funding: primarily administrative responsibilities such as mailings, data entry, etc.; internships at for-profit businesses (except where exemptions are granted by the Bailey Scholarship committee); internships without clear learning opportunities; internships without supervision/mentorship; student teaching, internships, and other activities that are required for graduation.

For more information and to apply, go here.

La Casa Cultural Latina Scholarship – Application Now Open! All applications due by 5pm on Friday, March 20!

AccessLex Institute – LexScholars Applications Due April 1!

AccessLex Institute is accepting applications for LexScholars by AccessLex℠, an innovative new diversity pipeline initiative focused on developing sustainable models for improving access to law school.

LexScholars is for prospective law students from underrepresented racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who possess the potential for law school success but may be unlikely to gain admission due to unfavorable LSAT scores and/or undergraduate grades.

Participants will benefit from access to various resources, including LSAT preparation, law school admissions counseling, financial education, writing skills development and wellness training. And there are no costs associated with the program for participants.

There are eligibility requirements, and students will need two recommender assessments to apply.

Applications will be accepted through Wednesday, April 1. Click on this link for more information and to apply!

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

The 17th Annual Illinois Latino Law Forum – NEXT Saturday, March 7, 2020, DePaul University College of Law

The Illinois Latino Law Student Association (ILLSA) is a coalition of Latinx law students dedicated to increasing diversity in law school. ILLSA takes great pleasure in announcing the 17th Annual Illinois Latino Law Forum that will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at DePaul University College of Law in downtown Chicago.

We cordially invite high school and college students to participate in this pipeline program – offered at no cost – designed to encourage more Latino/as to consider the field of law as a profession by exposing them to the value of a legal education and a career in the field of law.

Guest speakers include: judges; practicing attorneys; law school administrators, including one of only a very small number of Latina law school Deans in the country; government lawyers, and many other inspiring professionals.

This event is free to attend but advanced registration is required!

In conjunction with the Law School Admission Council’s DiscoverLaw Program, we are pleased to offer the following highlights for the ILLSA Forum:

Illinois Latino Law Forum Highlights

· Breakfast and lunch

· Introduction to the study of law from the perspective of Latino/a judges and attorneys

· Mock law school class taught by a DePaul Law professor

· Tips and advice from law school admission professionals about the law school applicatoin and financial aid process

· Opportunity to meet with members of the current Illinois Latino/a legal community, from judges and professors, to lawyers and current law students;

· Law school information fair with various law schools present and the chance to obtain materials and ask further questions about the law school admissions process

· Opportunity for college students to sign-up for a mentorship program and meet their law student mentor

· Opportunity for college juniors, senior and recent graduates to apply for scholarships

Register today to meet some of the most influential Latinx attorneys in our country and be encouraged to become a part of the legal profession.

For directions to DePaul College of Law, visit our website. There is ample parking at a number of public parking lots in the vicinity of the law school and multiple forms of public transportation.

For questions or require additional information, please contact depaul.illsa@gmail.com.