Spring 2008 USC Pre-Law Weekly Newsletter - Vol.4
_________________________________________________________________
Upcoming Events
- Trials of Law School: Wednesday, February 6th at 4:00 pm, location: THH 114
- Law School Application Workshop I: Wednesday, February 13th at 4:30 pm, location: THH 114
- LSAT Prep Student Panel: Wednesday, February 20th at 4:30pm, location: THH 114
- Law School Insiders Panel: Wednesday, February 27th, time and location: TBA
Updates on these events can be found here
INTERNSHIPS, EXTERNSHIPS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
_________________________________________________________________
USC Journal of Law and Society
Did you feel compassionate enough about an issue to write about it? Did you really like one of your papers and would like an opportunity to be published? If so, please submit your essay(s) to the USC Journal of Law and Society. We are looking for submissions for our Spring issue, and would love to hear from you. Our journal has a large social science emphasis and would like to publish papers from a broad range of fields. If you’re interested please email uscjls@gmail.com. Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!
Olorunbunmi Hambolu
Editor
USC Journal of Law and Society
_________________________________________________________________
2008 Teach for America
Teach for America is the corps of recent college graduates who teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders to expand educational opportunity for all. We seek the most outstanding graduating college seniors – from all majors such as business, medicine, politics, law, education, public policy, and the sciences – who have the leadership skills to change the prospects of students growing up today and, ultimately, to effect fundamental changes in our society that will make it a place of opportunity for all.
The FINAL application deadline is Friday, February 15th, 2008 (11:59 p.m. PST, 2:59 a.m. EST).
Click here to apply now.
All academic majors welcome - full salary and benefits. No previous education experience or coursework necessary. To learn more, visit www.teachforamerica.org, contact admissions@teachforamerica.org, or subscribe to our e-newsletter at: https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/request/subscribe.jsp.
_________________________________________________________________
Florida State University – 2008 Summer for Undergraduates Program
The Summer for Undergraduates Program at the Florida State University College of Law is the largest of its kind and has become a model for other law schools nationally. Sixty undergraduate college students will be chosen from the applicant pool to participate in the month-long program. Daily classes are taught by law school professors and writing instructors. Lectures familiarize students with the functions of the American legal system and the process by which conflicts are resolved. Writing workshops help students to develop their writing and communication skills. In addition to classes, the program provides guest lecturers from the legal community and includes observation of courtroom proceedings and visits to local law firms. The Florida State University College of Law provides room and board, course materials, and a $500 stipend to all participants. Students are responsible for their travel to and from Tallahassee. The program is funded in part by a grant from the Law School Admission Council.
FSU Application
More Details and information
_________________________________________________________________
Declining Law School Applications, Women Applicants, Good Time to Apply?
A Kaplan Test Prep Admissions Survey of law school admissions officers from 190 law schools across the nation reveals that for the past two years, over half of the law schools surveyed have been reporting a decline in applications, with an overall decline of 7.4% recorded for this year alone. There has also been a disproportionate decrease in the amount of women applying to law school, with women making up 46.9% of the applicants this year, compared to 49% five years ago. Although the decline in applications combined with the unchanging admissions numbers appears to increase the admissions odds for future applicants, 79% of admission officers reported that despite the decline, the admissions process has not become any less competitive; in fact, LSAT and GPA averages continue to rise and officers at 66% of the schools surveyed admit that the LSAT is the single biggest component. Despite the increasing competition, the director of preLaw programs for Kaplan claims that it is a good time to apply to law school, as he predicts that applications numbers will rise again soon and the application process will likely become even more competitive.
* Information adapted from the PreLaw magazine article "Law school applications decline, competition still strong" by Michelle Weyenberg (Winter edition 2008).
_________________________________________________________________
Part Time Law School
Recently many law schools, such as Tulane, Thomas M. Cooley College of Law, and Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, have begun to offer part-time programs for students who wish to work full or part time while obtaining their law degree. Many students see these programs as an excellent way to obtain a law degree while raising a family or maintaining a day job, cutting back on the amount of debt they incur. Part-time programs have many forms: some schools offer 4 year programs with classes offered at night while others have the option of a 5 year programs with classes offered on the weekends. Law schools that offer part-time programs emphasize that part-time law students are just as serious and qualified as full-time law students. These schools have worked to ensure that part-time students enjoy the same benefits as full-time students, including access to the bookstore and the library, extracurricular programs such as clinics and law review, and the instruction of the same reputable faculty members that teach the full-time students. And while the admissions statistics (LSAT and GPA) of part-time students have a tendency to be slightly lower than those of full-time students at schools that offer both programs, this is likely because admissions committees are more considerate of real-world and work experience when evaluating the applications of part-time students.
* Information adapted from the PreLaw magazine article "All Night Law School" by Karen Dybis (Winter edition 2008).
_________________________________________________________________
Points of Interest
Pre-Law Newsletters
Dean's Certificates
Pre-Law Minor Highlights
Featured Law School
