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Welcome to the
5th Annual Celebrating five years of inspiring and empowering aspiring Black lawyers! WORKSHOP SESSIONS & PANEL DISCUSSIONS
FOCUS: THE LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS (Panel Discussion): How the Admissions Process Works and How to Make Yourself a Competitive Applicant
Description: In this panel, knowledgeable law school admissions deans and directors discuss admissions requirements, what law schools are looking for in “competitive” applicants, and what minority candidates can do to stand apart from other smart and talented admissions candidates. These admissions “insiders” will also discuss affirmative action, and the role that “diversity” plays in the admissions process.
FOCUS: LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION TEST (Panel Discussion): Addressing the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Achievement Gap: Keys to Excellent Preparation for Earning the Scores that Law Schools Expect from Competitive Applicants Brief Description: This panel discusses the extremely important role that the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) plays in distinguishing applicants for admission and its usefulness as a predictor of success during the first year in law school. Panelists impart critical information on how applicants can best prepare themselves to perform at their highest level on this all-important exam. Test preparation and test-taking strategies will be shared. There will also be discussion about some of the factors that lead to African Americans’ underperforming on these exams, and how future test takers can avoid making common mistakes and buying into stereotypes and misconceptions that contribute to less than stellar scores.
FOCUS: PERSONAL STATEMENT/DIVERSITY STATEMENT (Workshop): The Personal Statement and the Diversity Statement: Similarities, Differences, Tips and Techniques
FOCUS: FINANCING LEGAL EDUCATION (Workshop): How to Finance a Law School Education: Insider Information on Loans, Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (and Money Management Tips)
Description: In this workshop, the presenter will cover how aspiring lawyers without personal or family wealth will be able to finance an expensive professional legal education. Information will be provided about those resources available (including loans, scholarships, fellowships, grants, as well as Loan Repayment Assistance Programs) and how incoming law students can qualify for them. There will also be discussion on debt management and how one’s debt load can impact their career decisions.
FOCUS: LAW SCHOOL SELECTION/CHOICE (Panel Discussion): How to Choose the Best Law School for You
Description: Choosing the law schools to apply to is a important decision warranting thoughtful and serious consideration. During this session, law school administrators and attorneys discuss the many factors one needs to carefully consider when making a decision about what law schools to apply to and ultimately to attend. Your law school choice will follow you throughout your career and professional life, therefore it is crucial that you make the right choice about the best law school that is the best fit for your interests, and that you can be proud of having attended.
FOCUS: INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE METHOD AND THE SOCRATIC METHOD OF LAW SCHOOL INSTRUCTION MOCK LAW SCHOOL CLASS
Description: In this session, attendees have the chance to participate in an interactive “mock” law school class taught by real law professors. Students will be assigned “sections” and class cases and materials will be available on the conference website at least two weeks prior to the conference. Students must go to their assigned sections, and are expected to have prepared for the class beforehand by reading and briefing the assigned case. A list of participants will be provided to professors, and any “law student” will be subject to being cold called by the professor. After the mock classroom experience, professors will take the time to discuss the case method and the Socratic method of class discussion as a learning tool to teach students how to “think like a lawyer.” They will also share their candid advice about the academic demands and responsibilities of being a law student, and the lessons to be learned, skills to be acquired, and work ethic to be sharpened during those three to four years of law school training. Assigned Legal Case: Lambertson v. United States 528 F.2d 441 (1976) Case can easily be found online: Justicia.com -http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F2/528/441/178693/ *** Copies will be available at the Registration Center. Please indicate that you would like the Lambertson case in order to prepare for the mock class on Saturday, November 7. *** . FOCUS: THE LAW SCHOOL EXPERIENCE (Panel Discussion): The Challenges and Rewards of Law School, and How to Best Prepare for A Successful Law School Experience
Description: In this session, panelists will discuss what it is really like to be a law student – the academic expectations and the daily grind, as well as the competing demands and opportunities outside of the classroom. They will provide strategies for achieving success in the classroom, during study, and on exams, as well as through positive involvement and leadership in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities as well. They will stress the importance of both working hard, playing hard, and having a support system in place in order to achieve a positive and somewhat balanced law school experience.
FOCUS: THE LAW SCHOOL PREPARATION PROGRAMS (Panel Discussion): Start Out Ahead of the Game: The Benefits of Participating in Law School Preparation Programs
Description: Law school learning is different from what you have experienced in previous educational experiences. By gaining a better understanding of the case method, the Socratic method, legal research and writing, how law students are evaluated, and what is expected of you as a law student – you will gain an edge against your classmates in a highly competitive legal educational environment. There are several law school preparation programs designed to help prepare you for the experience. Learn more about some of the existing programs and how you can take advantage of them and start out ahead of the game – instead of behind.
FOCUS: THE BAR EXAM (MANDATORY ATTORNEY LICENSING EXAM) (Panel Discussion): African Americans and the Bar Exam: What It Tests, Where We Stand, and What It Really Takes to Pass This Necessary Hurdle to Earning Your License to Practice Law Description: Panelists will discuss what the bar examination is, what it tests, and the bar preparation courses, tutors, and materials available. They also examine statistics regarding African American bar passage rates, and the real reasons why the bar exam presents such an obstacle for many African American law graduates in becoming licensed practicing attorneys. Knowledgeable attorneys provide concrete suggestions and advice on how Black law students can ensure that they prepare well, persist, and get the support they need to ensure they succeed on this critically important, high-stakes exam – the passage of which presents the final hurdle to becoming a full-fledged “attorney and counselor at law.”
FOCUS: THE JOINT/DUAL J.D. AND MBA DEGREES (Workshop): The Pros and Cons of the J.D./M.B.A.
Description: This workshop will focus on the increasingly popular JD/MBA degree path. The presenter will break down a variety of pros and cons to the JD/MBA, including cost, timing, admissions chances, and career goals. Additionally, there will be a brief analysis of some of the most popular JD/MBA programs, as well as information about new offerings and recent trends.
FOCUS: DIVERSITY ISSUES Life as a Black Law Student: Coping with the Additional Burdens of Racism and Prejudice, and Ways to Make Positive Contributions in the Law School Environment and Legal Work Setting DESCRIPTION: This session discusses the importance of diversity in law schools, and the challenges that this diversity can bring. Panelists address the realities of prejudice and discrimination in a diverse law school environment, particularly issues that Black law students must face. The discussion will provide helpful suggestions to assist future law students in understanding that they can use such instances as opportunities for teaching and leadership in the law school community precisely due to their unique experiences and perspectives. Their will also be discussion about navigating racial issues in legal work settings while still a law student.
FOCUS: RACE AND GENDER ISSUES The Double Minority: The Additional Challenges of Being Both Black and a Woman in the Legal Profession DESCRIPTION: Being Black in law school and in the legal profession is not easy, but Black women have certain additional issues they must face as well in not only dealing with racial stereotypes but also gender inequalities. This panel confronts the difficulties of life as a double minority, and provides suggestions as to how to deal with those sensitive issues with dignity and grace. There will also be a brief discussion of the American Bar Association reports “Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms," as well as "From Visible Invisibility to Visibly Successful: Success Strategies for Law Firms and Women of Color in Law Firms."
Black Men in the Legal Profession: Getting More of Us on the Other Side of the Law DESCRIPTION: It is widely publicized how a substantial number (one in four by some statistics) of Black men will be negatively involved in the criminal justice system and spend some time in jail. In this panel, discussants will touch on the issues that Black men face in achieving in college, and going on to law school and practicing law. The biases and prejudices that Black men in particular experience in law school and the legal profession, as well as the great need for higher Black male representation will be addressed. Panelists will consider ways we can reverse this alarming statistic and interest more Black boys and men in wanting to become lawyers and making sure that they achieve their goals.
FOCUS: CAREERS (Panel Discussion): African American Lawyers: Different Career Paths and Possibilities Description: Panelists will briefly discuss their educational and career backgrounds, as well as their current positions and the work they do as a lawyer. This panel is designed to expose aspiring Black lawyers to the various possibilities available to those possessing a professional legal education. Tips will also be given as to how to gain entry into these various jobs.
(Workshop): What Can You Do With A Law Degree Description: While the majority of law school graduates go immediately into traditional legal jobs – jobs with the title “lawyer” – thousands of law-trained graduates find that their career paths take them to jobs where legal training is valuable, but where the title isn’t “lawyer.” These are jobs that do not require a law degree, but can be enhanced because of skills learned in law school. These positions range from contract administrators and human resources managers to sports agents and athletic directors. This session will: · help identify those skills learned in law school (analytical skills, advocacy, communication, research, and the ability to break down a problem into its component parts) that are directly transferable to other professions; and · bring attention to job opportunities that are available to law school graduates who are uninterested in positions at traditional private law firm.
(Panel Discussion): African Americans Attorneys With Their Own Law Practices: The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Legal Entrepreneur Description: This panel features African American attorneys who have chosen to become self-employed legal entrepreneurs. They discuss the reasons why they started their own practices and what they did in order to learn how to successfully manage a law firm. They share both the positives and negatives of having one’s own law office, as well as the unique challenges and concerns African American solo and small firm practitioners face. Additionally, they recommend resources and organizations to assist those who have the courage to choose this route.
(Panel Discussion): Environmental Law: Today and Beyond Description: With mounting concern over energy, climate change and sustainability, lawyers with expertise in environmental law will play a key role as we move towards the Obama Administration’s “green economy.” The members of this panel will discuss environmental law and its evolution into an interdisciplinary multifaceted area of legal specialization. The panel members also will discuss their current day-to-day responsibilities and the professional challenges they confront in their respective organizations. The panelists will share their insights as to how students can best position themselves to pursue a career in environmental law upon completion of law school.
FOCUS: CAREER ADVANCEMENT (Workshop): How to Succeed in the Practice of Law in a Law Firm Description: This workshop will address the secrets to success in law firm clerkships which lead to jobs as associates and then as associations in law firms. It will include tips on how to understand and meet senior lawyer expectations; prioritization of time; how to get feedback and what to do with it; how to find mentors; when to say yes or no to projects and how; and other matters necessary to stand out at work as a “go to” associate.
EARLY OUTREACH : FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ONLY! (LAW SCHOOL AND LEGAL CAREER EXPLORATION) Preparation for Success Starts Today!: What You Can Do Now to Prepare to Become a Highly Competitive Law School Candidate (Strategies and Advice for Success in High School and College) Description: This session provides insight on things high school students can begin doing now to prepare themselves to become competitive law school candidates. Concrete suggestions regarding academic performance, college choice, extracurricular involvement and leadership, research opportunities, summer programs, work experiences, preparation for the LSAT, career exploration, and more will be discussed. It is very important to be strategic and to consider how students can make themselves the very best students and leaders well before filling out their law school applications. The advice imparted will high schoolers learn how to stand out and shine whether or not they ultimately decide to pursue law school or another graduate/professional program or career choice.
SIGNATURE EVENT: LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS & PREPARATION HELP CLINIC E-mail us for the opportunity to get one-on-one assistance regarding your law school application materials.
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