If you are sitting in a classroom daydreaming about being thenext Marsha Clark, Johnnie Cochran, or David Horowitz, clear yourcalendar for a Nov. 12 workshop. The University of Memphis' CecilC. Humphreys School of Law is hosting, it may help you make yourdreams a reality.
Students will receive information on careers in law, tips onconquering the admissions process, finding financing, and survivingthe grueling academic attrition.
With dozens of specialties offered, a "typical lawyer" no longerexists.
"One of the upsides of going to law school is that you canpractice in so many different fields, with a law degree, you havethe flexibility to change careers without changing professions,"said Sean Muizers, third year law student.
After choosing the law school path, students have to preparethemselves for a competitive admissions process that starts withthe Law School Admissions Test, a half-day standardized test thatis required for admission to all American Bar Associationaccredited law schools.
"There are lots of programs that you can buy to practice with,"Muizers said, "The important thing is getting used to thetiming."
Because of the weighted importance given to LSAT scores, anentire industry has grown out of preparing students to take thetest.
"The LSAT has historically proven to be disadvantageous tominorities, so any resource a potential minority law student hasavailable should be utilized to help close the gap," said ThornellWilliams, second year law student.
With the LSAT scores in hand, students can start narrowing downto which schools they will apply. Many will use the U.S. News andWorld Reports' annual ranking of "America's Best Law Schools" as aresource. The U of M ranked in the third tier of the 185 schoolsthe magazine examined.
The administration has streamlined the extensive admissionprocess.
"The law school admission and scholarship applications have beencombined so that students are automatically checked for scholarshipfunds," Williams said.
Law school is expensive and financing tips will be coveredduring the workshop.
Ninety-four percent of students borrow money for law school andthe typical law student graduates with more than $84,000 in debt,according to U.S. News and World Report.
Organizations such as the Tennessee Institute for Pre-Law, whichwork to increase diversity in the legal profession, will also be atthe workshop.
Only 29.9 percent of lawyers are women, 4.8percent AfricanAmerican, 2.8 percent Hispanic, and 92.6 percent white.
The workshop will be held in the Law School, Room 250 between 4to 6 p.m.
