Sunday, November 29, 2009

Pepperdine Law Professor @ APU on Tuesday, December 1st

Pepperdine Law Professor Peter Robinson will be at Azusa Pacific University on Tuesday, December 1st to meet with interested Pre-Law students.

Time:  3:00 - 4:00PM

Room:  Wilden Hall, Rm 107

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Scholarship Available at Trinity Law School

Christian College Scholarship

In order to minister to graduates and employees from Christian colleges and universities, Trinity Law School is offering a scholarship worth 50 percent of the cost of tuition for the entire three-year law school degree, to any graduate from a regionally-accredited Christian college or university that is a member of the North American Coalition for Christian Admission Professionals (www.NACCAP.org), and meets the requirements for admission to Trinity’s regular JD program. Upon completion of this degree graduates will be qualified to take the California bar exam.

USC Law Fair TODAY!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Think LIke a Lawyer

The Socratic Method Makes Better Lawyers

By Tammy Pettinato, Esq.
Assistant Director of Career Services and Professional Development


Some people think that lawyers walk around with a long catalog of laws in their heads, able to answer any legal question at the drop of a hat.

The truth is that legal questions almost never have black and white answers. The true work of a lawyer isn’t memorizing laws, but rather understanding legal principles and how to apply them to a wide range of different factual situations. This ability is called “thinking like a lawyer,” and it is perhaps the most important thing you will learn in law school.

So how does law school teach you to think like a lawyer? Most law professors use a teaching technique called the Socratic Method. Here’s how it differs from what you are used to in your undergraduate courses:

Professors assign reading material that thoroughly explains a given concept. Professors assign reading material, but most of the time it won’t directly explain a concept. Instead, it will be a series of judicial opinions issued by real courts in real cases.

Class time is spent going over what you have read in more detail. The professor will ask you a series of questions in an effort to get you to explain it yourself. This back and forth dialogue is the heart of the Socratic Method.

“The Socratic method challenges me to deepen my understanding of legal concepts and develop my legal analysis,” current University of La Verne College of Law student, Shannon Shafron-Perez, shares. “By engaging in discussions with professors who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the conversation, I have gained insight into concepts that would otherwise not be available in the traditional lecture environment.”

The Brief

The Socratic Method was named for Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher who was known for teaching his pupils by asking a series of questions, slowly leading the pupil to contradict himself and forcing him to reframe his arguments. Using this method, Socrates taught his pupils how to reason logically and think critically.

Law professors use the Socratic Method to help students learn to tease out the reasoning and legal principles that went into a given judicial decision and also to make educated arguments about how that reasoning and those principles would apply if the facts were different.

In a typical law school class, the professor will:

1. Call on a student, usually at random.
2. Ask the student to recite the facts and holding of a case.
3. Pose a series of questions meant to elicit why the case was decided in a particular way.
4. Challenge the student to speculate on how the result would have been different, were the facts different.

And, all of this happens in front of the entire class. In fact, the first few times a student experiences the Socratic Method can be intimidating.

No Right Answers

“It can be challenging, but the method helps us become better lawyers,” Shafron-Perez adds. “When we are asked to answer hypothetical problems in class, the professor’s guided questioning not only leads us to an answer, but also models the analysis required to arrive at that answer. As a 1L, my sole focus was finding the ‘right’ answer. Now I realize that there is no ‘right’ answer, only reasonable answers derived from sound legal analysis.”

Dos, Don'ts and Tips

While this may sound overwhelming, there are a few things you can do to ease some of the pressure:

1. Be thoroughly prepared for every class. This means not only doing all of the assigned reading, but also briefing the cases; that is, writing down the facts, holding, and reasoning so you won’t have to scramble to remember them when you’re called on.

2. Practice asking yourself questions about why the case was decided in a certain way and which facts seemed essential to the result. This will insure that you have a thorough understanding of the material and make it easier for you to think on your feet if you’re asked to start speculating about different results.

3. Stay calm and relaxed. Remember that the point of the Socratic Method isn’t to find some mysterious “right” answer but to teach you how lawyers think about legal questions. In fact, more often than not, there is no right answer. You’ll think more clearly if you don’t panic in a vain attempt not to say the wrong thing.

The Socratic Method can be frightening, especially when you’re new to law school, but it can also be an invigorating intellectual exercise that will stimulate your mind and get you started on your way to “thinking like a lawyer.”

About the University of La Verne College of Law

Located in Ontario, Calif., the University of La Verne College of Law serves over four million people as the only ABA-approved law school in Inland Southern California and an additional 2.2 million people in the San Gabriel Valley and Eastern Los Angeles County. For more information about the College of Law, please call (909) 460-2001 or visit the Web at law.laverne.edu

Monday, October 5, 2009

Webinar offered by Michigan State University

This free webinar offers tips on how to craft a winning personal statement.

Michigan State University Law School

This news update has information on preparing for the LSAT, applying for law school, and links to MSU School of Law.

Florida State Law - Summer Program for Undergraduates

Applications for this May-intensive summer program will be accepted from October1, 2009 through March 26, 2010.

Lewis & Clark Law School

News from the University of La Verne

Monday, September 7, 2009

National Black Pre-Law Conference and Fair 2009


You are cordially invited to attend...
The 5th Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair 2009

Celebrating five years of inspiring and empowering aspiring Black lawyers!WHAT: The Fifth Annual National Black Pre-Law Admissions & Preparation Conference and Law School Recruitment Fair

WHERE:
University of Houston - Downtown, One Main Street (Downtown Houston), Houston, Texas

WHEN: Friday, November 6, 2009 and Saturday, November 7, 2009

WHO: High School Students, College Students, College Graduates, Career Changers, and Working Professionals Interested in Pursuing a Professional Law Degree (Juris Doctor); Multicultural/Diversity Affairs, Career Services, and Pre-Law Advisors; Parents, Mentors, and Supporters
  • FEATURES INCLUDE:

    * Complimentary continental breakfasts
    * Keynote addresses
    * Law School Recruitment Fair
    * Panel discussions and workshop sessions
    * Mock LSAT diagnostic exam
    * Mock law school class
    * Signature Law School Admissions & Preparation Advice Help Clinic
    * Networking opportunities (icebreakers, speed networking, socials)
    * Catered Networking Receptions: An All-Black Affair and A Chocolate Affair: Fifth Anniversary Celebration
    * Conference after party and post-conference mixers
HOW: Register by mail or fax (registration forms attached and available at the conference website) or register online at http://blackprelawconference2009.eventbrite.com/
EVERYONE IS WELCOME (regardless of race or ethnicity). Group discounts are available. Fee waivers are also available to those unable to afford the registration fee.