Ryan ChartrandIf you have ever had visions of becoming the next Elle Woods and attending Harvard Law School … la “Legally Blonde,” you are in luck today.
Career Services is hosting Law Day where representatives from participating programs in California will discuss admissions criteria. The representatives will then hold an open forum to answer questions students may have.
Ronald Den Otter, a political science professor, said Law Day is important because of the counsel it offers to students.
“They can ask questions to the specific representatives of the schools and get information about what those schools are looking for,” Den Otter said.
The event will be held in the Performing Arts Center main lobby. The panel on admissions criteria will be held from 10 to 11:15 a.m., and the open forum will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Charlotte Rinaldi, a career counselor with Career Services, said the event will help students get the inside scoop on the law school application process.
“There are a lot of written resources out there telling students what matters to law schools, but here you get to hear it directly from a group of law school administrators,” Rinaldi said.
“The participating programs will say what matters and what doesn’t.”
Participating schools include: Chapman University Law, Loyola Law, Monterey College of Law, Santa Barbara College of Law, Santa Clara University Law, San Joaquin College of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law and Whittier Law School.
UCLA, Western State University College of Law and California Western School of Law were also scheduled to participate but administrators at those schools cancelled due to the Southern California wildfires.
Rinaldi said the goal for the event is to equip students with the ability to prioritize where they are spending energy on their applications.
“I hope students walk away with a better understanding of what they have control over, and what they don’t,” Rinaldi said. “Even if students aren’t interested in the specific programs represented, they should still come. Any advice they can get on law schools is helpful.”
She added that one advantage for students not interested in the programs represented is that they can be more frank in their questions without worrying if there is a cost involved.
Law school administrators accept applications at the beginning of November, so Law Day is a final chance for students to gain clarity about the process.
“Last minute questions and concerns can be answered and students will be given an increased confidence in the process,” Rinaldi said.