The blog is now available at prelaw.umass.edu/blog.

Please correct your bookmarks, RSS feeds and so on.

So you just arrived on campus (welcome!) and you’re trying to figure out this pre-law thing. Law school seems like a distinct possibility for your future, or you’re kind of thinking about a legal career, or you just always thought you’d be a lawyer. What’s next? What should you be doing to get on, or keep on track? What is the track, anyway?

The answers all depend in large part on whether you just arrived as a freshman or as a transfer student. Let’s start with the first years.

Freshmen, the most important thing you should be doing right now to further your lawyering aspirations is . . . focus on college. This is a big transition you’re making, and too many students underestimate just how tough it can be. One of the most common conversations I have with law school applicants is the one that starts off with, “So, my GPA really suffered my first year of college….” I’d like to not have that conversation with any of you.  Remember: there is little you can do this first year of college to either help or hurt your law school admission chances. For a few more tips, review my Welcome Class of 2015 post from earlier this summer.

Transfers, your main order of business is to get to know your professors (and let them get to know you).  Participate in class.  Visit office hours and engage with your instructors about their topics.  In as little as a year from now, you may need letters of recommendation for law school, and those professors will be the ones to write them.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re in big classes or small ones — seek out your profs, especially those in your major(s).

For all of you new to campus, visit the pre-law website for answers to all of your questions. “Like” the Facebook page (that’s where you’ll find all the news about law school, law-related events on campus, the legal profession, etc.). Check out the regularly updated Events page of this blog. And stop by my office to introduce yourself.  During the fall semester, I prioritize appointments with current applicants, but I’m always happy to welcome new students.  And whenever you have a question, don’t hesitate to email me.

And keep your eyes open for completely revised and redesigned Pre-Law Advising website, coming in just a few weeks!

New Student Orientation for the class of 2015 begins today.  There will be pre-law info sessions every Monday and Thursday of orientation, at 10:15 and 11:00, in Machmer W21.  If you can’t make one of the sessions, here are a few basic tips and points of information for entering freshmen:

• Pre-Law is not a major! There are no magic classes to take or fields to major in to help you get into or succeed in law school.  Study what you love — you’ll get more out of it (and get better grades).
• Pre-Law is an advising office. Whenever you have questions about legal careers, law school or law-related activities, don’t hesitate to contact me. (And check out the website!)
• Don’t worry about law school, worry about college. This is a big transition you’re facing, and it deserves your full attention.  There is little you can do freshman year to either help or hinder your eventual law school admission chances.
• Explore law-related academics and activities. Not because they’ll help you get into law school (they won’t), but because you’re interested in law.  For a listing of some of the law-related opportunities available to you first year, click here (PDF).
• Get to know your professors. Don’t be intimidated by them — go to office hours, ask smart questions about their area(s) of expertise, let them get to know you.  It’s never too soon to start giving them something to write about in your eventual letters of recommendation.

Welcome to UMass Amherst!

If you are a freshman entering UMass in Fall 2011, you might want to consider the Careers in Law RAP.  Participants will take American Politics (PolSci 101) as well as a one-credit seminar led by your faithful Pre-Law Advisor.  For more information, click on the link above.  The seminar will focus on exploring legal careers and dispelling myths about legal education in particular and law world in general.  Expect field trips, guest speakers and more.

The Pre-Law Advising Office is open all summer long, with the exception of a handful of weeks*.  I will be in the office most mornings, but you should email or call to set up a specific appointment to meet with me.  You can always reach me via email, of course, at prelaw@acad.umass.edu

The Pre-Law Advising Office will maintain its regular hours through Commencement.  Feel free to drop by before you leave for the summer.  (The office will be open through the summer as well — hours to be announced soon.)

If you’re on your way to law school in the Fall, don’t miss our informative and fun event this Thursday, May 5th, at 6 pm.

Look for more updates and an applicant survey in the coming days, and good luck with your final exams and papers!

Thursday, May 5th, 6:00 pm — Grad Student Lounge

For those on your way to law school in the Fall — come get the inside scoop on how to make your first year successful.  And for those of you over 21, raise a celebratory glass with your fellow future law students.  With guest appearances from SLSO Attorney Corey Carvalho, Legal Studies Prof. Judy Holmes, as well as other attorneys and law students ready to welcome you to your new adventure.

Next week, the holiday and schedule change mess up my office hours a bit.  I’ll be available during the following times:

Wednesday, 2/23: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Thursday, 2/24: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Friday, 2/25: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Apologies for any inconvenience.

Regular Spring 2011 office hours are below (and are open to all):

Monday 9:00 – 3:30
Tuesday 2:30 – 4:30
Wednesday 9:00 – 12:30
Friday 9:00 – 12:30

It’s not much like Spring out there today, on this first day of classes, is it?

Regardless of the weather, it’s that time of year when students and alums who are thinking about applying to law school for Fall 2012 (a year and a half from now) should move from “thinking about” to “planning.”  At the top of your brand new law school application to-do list is planning for the LSAT: when are you going to take it and how will you prepare for it.  But there are a number of other items you should be thinking about as well.  To help orient you, I’ll be presenting Fall 2012 Application Info Sessions the week of 1/31 (i.e., the first week of February) — these sessions will give you an overview of the application process as well as provide you with time lines and check lists for the admissions cycle.  (For a preview, check out the soon-to-be-updated time line and check list on the pre-law blog.)

Look for the details of the info sessions to appear soon on the Events page as well as on the blog.

Current applicants (for Fall 2011) should have completed and submitted your applications by now.  If you haven’t, this should be your absolute top priority right now.  If you have, you need to turn your attention to your financial aid applications.  In order to complete the FAFSA and any individual school’s forms, you’ll need to complete your tax return for 2010.  Remember that for law schools, the FAFSA is not generally used to determine need-based aid (since there isn’t a lot of that), but to determine how much the school will certify you to borrow.  If the law school ends up overestimating your capacity (and underestimating what you need to borrow), call the financial aid office immediately to discuss your situation — in all likelihood, they will be very helpful.

All students and alumni, regardless of where you are in the application process: please note that my office hours are now available to all — I’m happy to meet with you to discuss anything from how to figure out whether law school is right for you to which offer of admission you should accept, and every step in between.  Just email me for an appointment, or take your chances and drop by during my regular office hours.

Finally, if you haven’t already, “Like” my Facebook page.  The blog feeds directly to the page, and I also post a number of smaller items directly to Facebook.  It’s the most efficient way to keep informed about law school, legal careers, and the pre-law advising office. You can also use the discussion section to connect with other applicants — share LSAT materials, prep together, organize a law school tour, etc.

I’m looking forward to working with all of you!