What a crazy conglomeration of events we’ve got scheduled next week, all catering to the legal eagles out there.  I’m out of breath just listing them all.  Here’s the rundown:

*Just added*
Vermont Law School Admissions Visit
Tuesday, 11/15, at noon
E23 Machmer

Vermont Law School boasts the most respected environmental law program in the country.  Come meet with a VLS Admissions counselor to learn more about the school.

Color of Justice panel
sponsored by the National Association of Women Judges
Wednesday, 11/16, 3:00 – 5:30 pm
Western New England University School of Law (Springfield, Mass.)

A truly unparalleled opportunity to meet and hear from over a dozen female judges and attorneys about their career paths and experiences.  Click through the title for the list of jurists at all levels of our state judiciary — from the Supreme Judicial Court on down to several local trial courts. (I’m so excited about this one, I’ll be heading down to Western New England myself!)

* Just added *
CMASS Law Night
Thursday, 11/17, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Wilder Hall 201

Hear the success stories of ALANA students  from UConn Law and Western New England Law, and get your questions answered by the admissions directors from both schools (as well as your faithful pre-law advisor). Brought to you in part by the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success (CMASS).

Lawyer-Alum career talk: Carrie Pollak, Esq.
Friday, 11/18 at noon
W13 Machmer

You’ll definitely want to hear UMass alum Carrie Pollak (Legal Studies and English ’04, Cornell Law ’08) talk about her experiences in both a very large law firm in Boston, and her current mid-size firm in Ithaca, New York.  Attorney Pollak, a former Army National Guard soldier, practices in the areas of environmental law and land use regulation.

UMass Mock Trial: Second Annual Thanksgiving Classic Invitational Tournament
Friday 11/18 – Sunday 11/20
Isenberg School of Management

Come see a dazzling display of legal skills from over two dozen teams, as they battle it out in a criminal trial.  Come for one round, or come for all four.  Rounds start Friday at 6:30 pm, Saturday at 9 am and 2 pm, and Sunday at 9 am.  This is for anybody who has ever thought about trying out for Mock Trial, or who just wants to watch some excellent trial skills in action.

This just in from the admissions directors at WNEC, UConn, New England and BU Law Schools:

Please save the date for the Annual Minority Law Day Workshop, hosted by Western New England College School of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law, New England Law | Boston and Boston University School of Law.

When: Saturday, March 6, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Western New England College School of Law (Springfield, MA)
RSVP: Western New England College School of Law Admissions Office
(413) 782-1406, (800) 782-6665, admissions@law.wnec.edu

We are targeting minority and other diversity students, of all divisions and majors, who are interested in law school. The focus of the Minority Law Day Workshop is to educate minority and diversity students about the application process and to answer questions unique to their experiences. Seniors currently applying to law school are also encouraged to attend.

The workshop will answer the typical questions students ask when they begin to think about applying to law school, including:
-What should I major in?
-I am just a sophomore, what can I do now to increase my chances of getting into law school?
-How do I calculate the expense of law school and how do I pay for it?
-How do I effectively write a personal statement?
-What should my letters of recommendation include and who should write them?
-How can I use my law degree?
-How do I choose a law school that is right for me?
-What is a typical day like in law school?

Admissions professionals from Western New England College School of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law, New England Law | Boston and Boston University School of Law will lead discussions on the above questions and additional issues regarding law school including the application process and terminology

…or the lack thereof.  The Society of American Law Teachers and the Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic at Columbia University School of Law have put together a website exploring racial and ethnic diversity in American law schools.  Their central finding: the proportion of African-Americans and Mexican-Americans among law students has declined over the last 15 years, despite increases in applications and in numerical qualifications among these groups.  The site pulls together resources on a number of different fronts, including on the effects of over-reliance on the LSAT on diversity.

Well worth some of your time perusing it.

This just in from the College Student Division Director of the Northeast Black Law Students Association:

October 17, 2009 — 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
UConn Law, Hartford, CT

The Law School Symposium is open to any and all students interested in applying to law school at some point in their career.  At this event, students will learn about the law school admissions and financing process, pre-law internships, the typical law school class, law school preparation courses and more!  Participation is free and information on how students may sign up is on the attached flyer (PDF).

Sunday, September 27, 2009
10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Pace University (downtown campus), NYC

From the LatinoJustice PRLDEF announcement:

Our Law Day is an all-day event designed to give you–the prospective applicant–important tools and information from experts in the field via our panel discussions.  Law Day puts you face-to-face with recruiters and admissions officers from law school across the country at our afternoon recruitment fair.

Click here for more information and registration. (Registration is free.)

From the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities:

Applications are being accepted, for the 5th Annual “Dándole Alas a Tu Éxito/Giving Flight to Your Success” travel award program sponsored by Southwest Airlines and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Through this national education initiative, Southwest will provide roundtrip airline tickets to undergraduate and graduate students across the country with socio-economic need who travel away from home to pursue a higher education.

Click here for more information and the online application.

The Training and Recruitment Initiative for Admission to Leading Law Schools (TRIALS) is a new collaborative program sponsored by Harvard Law, NYU Law, and Advantage Testing Progam.  According to the program’s materials:

Trials is a unique partnership of NYU School of Law, Harvard Law School, and the Advantage Testing Foundation. It is a fully subsidized summer study program for students of modest means whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented at the nation’s top law schools. The 2009 Trials program is generously supported by a grant from the Heckscher Foundation.

For five weeks in July and August, Trials students take residence at Harvard or New York University. The residency alternates from year to year, with Harvard hosting the program in 2009, and NYU Law hosting in 2010. The inaugural 2009 Trials session is scheduled to occur from July 13 — August 14.

For more information, and applications (which are due March 1st), visit the TRIALS website.