Harris Beach Attorneys at Law are offering a Senior College Scholarship viewable on their Web site. You can find additional information about the scholarship on “Senior College Scholarship” link found under “Scholarship Opportunities”. The scholarship has some requirements: “You must be a high school graduate of the Rochester City School District, or the Urban-Suburban Interdistrict Transfer Program, and attend law school in fall 2008. Students must be members of
groups traditionally underrepresented in large law firms. Applicants may not be the recipient of a
similar award from another law firm.”
Link. (Opens up a PDF file)
Registration Online, by Mail, by Telephone: May 13, 2008 (receipt deadline)
Late Registration by Mail : May 14-20, 2008 (receipt deadline)
Late Registration Online and by Telephone: May 14 - 23, 2008 (receipt deadline)
It’s always a good idea to register further in advance if possible to ensure a reservation for your preferred test location. LSAC is reporting a shortage of seats for some testing locations at this time:
Notice for June 2008 LSAT Registrants
Due to limited center availability, registrants for the June 2008 LSAT may be placed on a wait list at the time of registration. LSAC staff is recruiting new June centers and will place registrants in test centers as close to their requested centers as possible and as soon as such space becomes available.
We plan to place all registrants for the June 16 LSAT in test centers. In some cases, registrants will be notified within a few weeks of their registration. However, for others it may take longer, up to three weeks prior to the test date. An email notice will be sent to registrants once they are placed at a center. (Link)
Posted April 28, 2008 in LSAT
Since there are no “Pre-law” designated classes at UB — given there is no single-path or particular academic background required for Law School — it can be somewhat daunting for students to choose courses with the intent of furthering themselves in the field of law. Common questions I am asked include:
1) Are there specific courses that will be helpful in preparing for law school?
2) Are their specific courses that will improve chances of admission?
3) How about classes that will help me perform better on the LSAT or strengthen my application generally?
4) Are there courses here that I can take to help me decide whether Law School is right for me or not?
To start with 1) today (and the following parts to cover the other questions), the American Bar Association has a good overview of Pre-Law, and has a nice section regarding course selection. Following the link, you’ll see they then break-down the various different categories too. They assign “skills and values” as general core abilities one should obtain while in college:
Core Skills and Values:
* Analytic / Problem Solving Skills
* Critical Reading
* Writing Skills
* Oral Communication / Listening Abilities
* General Research Skills
* Task Organization / Management Skills
* Public Service and Promotion of Justice
Keep in mind that any major is ok for Law School. Students with a background in science for example have an excellent foundation in problem-solving and critical thinking abilities that will serve them well in law school (and possibly qualify them for certain specialty areas non-science majors wouldn’t qualify for). Social Behavioral Sciences majors such as Psychology or Political Science are also very sound disciplines to consider, as is Business or the Humanities. Below are just some thoughts to complement your major of choice in addition to your major classes.
So in summary, there are numerous courses at UB that are applicable to the foundational skill sets Law School will demand. To summarize it as effectively possible, however, your writing abilities should be positively top-notch. Secondly, reference and research paper writing know-how is critical. Try to take a few upper-level courses that require a thesis of some sort. Thirdly, being able to effectively absorb and comprehend large quantities of reading material is enormously helpful. When your law professors give you a stack of 100 cases to go through for the next couple of weeks, you’d better have some keen organizational skills in place and the ability to concentrate and absorb data on an impressive scale.
At UB, therefore, consider taking some Humanities courses that stress reading and writing. Any English literature courses at the 200-level is a very good beginning. Classics, Philosophy, History, etc, that focus intensely on paper assignments are great. Also, additional, advanced-level courses that stress research papers would be a wonderful follow-up to these initial classes. As a very integral by-product, a lot of these courses have a strong discussion and participatory requirement. Oral communication skills are very critical to your success in Law School. A lot of your law classes will be discussion-based.
For this Fall, here are some examples of writing / discussion / linguistic analysis courses that should prove beneficial (note that content is contingent on instructor’s intent and changes from year to year and are just examples from a variety of different programs on campus at the 200-level).
AAS 290 - Race & the Law
AMS 207 - US in the World
CL 222 - Greek Civilization
COL 226 - Memory as Art
ENG 253 - Lit Types - Novel
HIS 220 - Culture & Arts East Asia
LIN 207 - Lang Society & Individual
PHI 215 - Deductive Logic
SSC 221 - Writing in the Law
MFC 334 - Legal Research and Writing
These courses are by no means ‘necessary’ and are based on individual interest level and are just relatively random examples, given the absolute plethora of good options. Also, keep in mind that research and Independent Study credit are also excellent ways to enrich your academic experience. For Independent Study credit, consult your departmental adviser. There may also be research or internship hours available for credit. There is also a wonderful resource on research projects available on the CURCA Web site (Center for Research & Creative Activities).
A word from the Kaplan office here at UB:
Kaplan Test Prep is offering a $100 Rebate for student who enroll in a LSAT classroom or tutor-based program during the month of March. For more information or to enroll, call 1-800-KAP-TEST, visit kaptest.com, or stop by the Kaplan Center located in Suite 201 of UB Commons.
Classes Begin:
LSAT: April 6th and May 6th.
For students who are planning to take a Kaplan course over the summer or back home, the Buffalo Kaplan Center can enroll you into any class nationally, or alternatively if you want to start classes in Buffalo and transfer and finish up your classes back home, you can do that as well.
To schedule a free practice test, stop by the Kaplan Center during office hours: Monday-Thursday 12 noon - 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 12 noon - 6 p.m.
520 Lee Entrance
Suite 201-UB Commons
Amherst, NY 14228
Phone: 716-636-1882
Fax: 716-636-0115.
Perfecting the Law School Personal Statement Session II
Wednesday, March 26th, 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. 145 D Student Union.
Your law school personal statement can be the deciding factor for acceptance. This session will teach you how to write a winning essay that will positively impact your overall law school application. This workshop will be the same format and content as Session I.
Posted March 24, 2008 in Workshops
Now is a very good time to begin considering attending an LSAC forum either over the summer or the fall.
Forums are a very good way to meet with law school representatives and help you decide what law schools are a good fit for you. You’ll learn about how the admissions process works, and law school reps will be able to clarify subtle points on their application that you might have questions about. The law school forums also offer helpful workshops to help you in such important topics as LSAT preparation and other components of the application, financial aid, underrepresented student opportunities, and more.
To find out more about these including the dates and locations of upcoming forums, visit this link.
Looking for one more volunteer to help attend the Pre-Law table for a few hours during the upcoming UB Open House event. I would need someone available for a two hour period sometime between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 29th. The event is being held in the Student Union.
Student responsibilities will include meeting and greeting with prospective UB students and their families. A free t-shirt will be made available for you.
If interested, please email me at bonebrak@buffalo.edu.
Update: We had some people volunteer and we’re all set this event. Thank you!
Here’s an easy way to join the UB Pre-Law Listserv.
Go to the UB Listserv Web site and type in: PRE-LAW-UPDATES-LIST.
Submit, and you’re all set!
You’re now ready to receive UB Pre-Law information. 
Posted March 10, 2008 in Listserv
Fields of Law is a nice page on the LSAC.org Web site that will introduce students to the variety of areas of practice in law. They also provide some interesting statistics, including the percentage of lawyers practicing in different sectors.
For something a bit more in-depth, I’d recommend “The Official Guide to Legal Specialties” showcased here to the right. I also have a copy of this book if anybody ever wants to borrow it.
Perfecting the Law School Personal Statement Session I
Wednesday, March 5th, 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. 145 D Student Union.
Your law school personal statement can be the deciding factor for acceptance. This session will teach you how to write a winning essay that will positively impact your overall law school application.
Posted February 28, 2008 in Workshops