SAPLA Pre-law Advisors Handbook 2017-2019

239 Pages·2017·2.4 MB·English

HANDBOOK FOR PRE-LAW
ADVISORS

SAPLA

2017-2019
HANDBOOK
FOR
PRE-LAW ADVISORS

S S
A A
P P
L L
A A

Compiled and Edited by

Gerald Lee Wilson, Ph. D
Duke University
Twentieth Printing and Revision

September 2018

Southern Association of Pre-Law Advisors
© 1984 SAPLA
Cover Design: Terry Wilkerson
The SAPLA Pre-Law Advisor’s Handbook as a whole is copyrighted by SAPLA. The
organization will permit all dues paying SAPLA members to reproduce certain parts of the
Handbook for purposes of distribution, without sale, to any former or present student of their
college or university as long as credit is given and shown prominently, recognizing the authors,
editors, and copyright holders, when and if such permission is requested of the Editor, Gerald Lee
Wilson, Duke University, in writing. Sections of the book reprinted from The NAPLA Hand book
for Pre-Law Advisor’s may not be reproduced without additional permissions from the editors of
the The NAPLA Hand book for Pre-Law Advisor’s No permission is granted for reproduction of
any part of SAPLA Handbook for purposes of sale or profit, or for use by programs which provide
pre-law services, or LSAT preparation for a fee.
PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

Pre-Law Associations such as SAPLA exist primarily for the purposes of promoting
interchange among members and providing services to those members. This SAPLA Pre-Law
Advisors Handbook represents one of the services provided by SAPLA. The intended audience for
this publication is Pre-Law Advisors, though it is probable that some of these materials will be
shared with pre-law students.

The Handbook itself has been divided into six sections for ready reference. Each section
begins with a short introduction which gives an overview of its contents. It is important to note at
this point that this Handbook in its present form is a bit more than a rough draft and considerably
less than a finished product. It is the intent of SAPLA to view this as an on-going project. Through
supplements and revisions SAPLA plans to update the Handbook periodically.
Suggestions/contributions are welcomed.

Three basic sources have been utilized in the preparation of this Handbook. First
contributions were solicited and received from members of SAPLA and we are grateful to them for
their willingness to share their expertise. Second, portions of the Duke Pre-Law Handbook
prepared by me and Harry H. Harkins, Jr., have been included. The third source utilized was the
NAPLA (Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors) Pre-Law Advisors Guide, compiled and
edited by Edward M. Stern, J.D., and Emily Soltanoff of Boston University. Since both NAPLA
and SAPLA were involved in similar projects we agreed to share materials. As a result, the
NAPLA and SAPLA were involved in similar projects we agreed to share materials. As a result,
the NAPLA publication contains materials originally published in the Duke Pre-Law Handbook and
SAPLA's Handbook contains materials originally published in the NAPLA Guide. These NAPLA
materials (in most cases reprinted from the original) form a valuable and substantial part of the
SAPLA Handbook and we are grateful for permission to reprint designated items.

Finally, as the word "editor" implies, other people have been involved in this project and
deserve special mention and words of gratitude. I wish to begin by thanking the Executive
Committee of SAPLA for its support throughout the course of this project. The time, effort and
energy given by each individual contributor deserves more than a word of gratitude. Yet, as the
song reminds us, "things don't just happen, you've got to make them happen," none of this project
would have "happened" without the help of three people who share the suite in 116 Allen Building.
My friend and colleague, Eileen King, College Recorder, Trinity College, Duke University devoted
a great deal of time and energy to the design of the cover, the mechanics of assembling the book,
typing (and retyping) these pages. Marilyn Hogge and Dianne Stutts assisted in the typing (and
retyping). My wife Virginia S. Wilson, an expert proofreader, did just that. Typos and other errors
will be found only in the sections she did not proof.

To all of these people I am truly grateful.

Gerald Lee Wilson
Duke University
September 25, 1984
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION

This edition of the SAPLA Handbook for Pre-Law Advisors has been revised and like most
ongoing projects contains something old and something new. In an effort to provide its
membership with the most “up to date” information, SAPLA began several years ago publishing
(with NAPLA) an annual supplement now called “The Wilson/Stern Book of Law School Lists”
which contains the latest information on law school programs, publications, opportunities, etc. This
Handbook, on the other hand, contains articles which have, if not a timeless quality, at least a shelf
life of several years. This edition contains a core of articles written for the first edition (and as
timely today as they were when written), and some revised articles, as well as a number of new
articles gleaned from various sources. It remains the view of SAPLA and this editor that this
Handbook is process and not product and all suggestions and contributions are welcome.

Pre-law advisors may reproduce and distribute to their students any portions of the
Handbook which may be of particular value to students. Please note the copyright conditions as
printed on the back of the title page.

As was the case with the first edition, I am grateful to those who share the suite in 04 Allen
Building, Terry Wilkerson who designed the cover and for her able assistance in compiling the
information for this edition.

I hope that this volume will be of help to you in your endeavors and again invite your
participation in future editions.

Gerald Lee Wilson
Senior Associate Dean
Pre-Law Advisor
Duke University
September 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. The Pre-Law Advisor: Overview and Innerview 1

The Role and Responsibilities of Pre-Law Advisors 3
PLANC (Pre-Law Advisors National Council) Statement
A Bird’s Eye View: Pre-Law Advising as Career Development 15
Rodia Vance, Emory University
Who Me? What is Pre-Law Advising All About? 21
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
No Solo Venture, Pre-Law Advising as a Shared Venture: 23
The APLAs and Law Services As Prime Resources
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
A Symbiotic Relationship: Pre-Law Advisors and Admissions Professionals 25
Michele L. Rahman, University of Richmond School of Law
The Pre-Law Advisor’s Annual Report, Facts and Figures 27
Gerald Wilson, Duke University
The Pre-Law Advisor’s Annual Report 29
Heather Struck, Cornell University
Workshop for Seniors-an Example 31
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Guidelines for Planning a Law Fair 33
Nancy Paul, Binghamton University, State University of New York and
Mary Alice Tetro, North Carolina State University
Reporting of Study Abroad Grades 37
Gerald Wilson, Duke University; Heather Struck, Cornell University;
Mary Alice Tetro, NC State;Laura Pugliese, Law School Admission Council
Intake Form-A Sample 39
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Calendar-A Sample 43
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University

II. Special Topics In Pre-Law Advising: More Than You Probably 45
Wanted To Know About A Lot of Things

THE LSAT
LSAT Preparation 47
Richard Poland, J.D., Flagler College
The Law School Admissions Test-Preparation Tips 49
Charles W. Roboski, Michigan State University

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Successful Letters of Recommendation* 53
Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown University Law Center
Letters of Recommendation 55
Howell Smith, Wake Forest University
Pre-Law Letters of Recommendation Guidelines: To The Student, 57
To the Reference - Jerry Polinard, Pan American University
LSAC Suggested Qualities to Consider When Writing 59
Letters of Recommendation
Mary A. Tetro, NC State University

Letters of Recommendation For A Student Planning 61
To Apply For Admission To Law School A Year or More After
Graduation, Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University

DEAN’S LETTER OR CERTIFICATION
Dean’s Certifications and Student “Confessions”: Where the 65
Future Meets the Past
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Dean’s Letter or Certification 67
Heather C. Struck, Cornell University
Your Criminal History 69
Lewis Hutchinson, University of South Carolina
Character and Fitness Inquiries 71
Dean Monica Ingram, Cornell Law School

PERSONAL STATEMENTS
Writing An Effective Personal Statement* 73
Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown University Law Center
Personal Statements In Law School Applications 75
“The Icing on the Cake”
Howell Smith, Wake Forest University
The Private “I”: The Personal Statement 77
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
A Collection of Thoughts on the Personal Statement 79
Paper developed by Mary A. Tetro, NC State University

VISITS AND INTERVIEWS
Visits to Law Schools 81
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Law School Interviews* 83
Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown University Law Center
Telephone and Skype Interviews 85
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University

SPECIALIZED ADVISING
Effective Techniques in Advising Minority Students (the 5 “E’s”) 87
Kimberly L. Hutson, Esquire, Norfolk State University
The Mature (i.e. Older) Student 91
Cindy Polinard
Advising Alumni Applicants to Law School 95
Heather Struck, Cornell University
Advising Alumni Applicants 97
Gerald L. Wilson, Ph.D., Duke University
Advising Pre-Law Students with Disabilities 99
Julia A. Yaffee, Santa Clara University School of Law
Revised and updated by Joan E. Van Tol, General Counsel, LSAC (2015)
International Law Students and Legal Employment
Brian D. Lewis, University of North Carolina School of Law
TIME OFF, TIME OUT
Taking Time Off Before Law School* - A Dean's Perspective 103
Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown University Law Center
Taking Time Off Before Law School: A Personal Perspective 107
Michael Gorman, Duke '88, Harvard, JD, MBA, '95

III. Financial Aid: “Cracking the Mystery of Financial Aid” 111

Financing Your Legal Education 113
Stephen G. Brown, Fordham Law School
AccessLex Institute: A Valuable Resource for Pre-Law Advisors and Students 117
Access Group
A Few Things To Think About Concerning Financial Aid 121
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Merit Scholarships: Making Sure That All That Glitters is Really Gold 123
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University

IV. The Law and the Profits: Careers, Placement and Some 125
Observations on the Job Market

THE IDEA
Why Law School? 127
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Why Do You Want To Go To Law School 129
Andrea Swanner Redding, J.D., Lewis & Clark College
Would You Be Happy As A Lawyer? 131
Paul J. Weber, University of Louisville
Is Law School For You? 135
Richard Poland, Flagler College
Alternatives to Law School 137
Aaron M. Houck, Queens University of Charlotte

THE REALITY
A View from a Law Career Development Office 141
Susan Krinsky, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
Types of Employment 145
Abbie Willard, Ph.D., Georgetown University Law Center
(Reprinted by permission)

V. The Prelaw Experience 159

Pre-Legal Education 161
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University,
(from Barron’s Guide To Law Schools,
Reprinted by permission)

Studying Law as An Undergraduate 167
Richard Poland, J.D., Flagler College
This is the Real Law, Not television: The Benefits of Having a
Legal Education Studies Minor 169
Wendy Vonnegut, Methodist University
Developing Undergraduate Exams That Prepare 171
Students for Law School Exams
Richard Poland, J.D., Flagler College
Legal Reasoning 173
Richard Poland, Flagler College
Selecting A Law School 175
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
Myths about the Law School Admissions Process 183
Richard Poland, Flagler College
“If I Knew Then What I Know Now”: Law Students’ 185
Perspectives On Their Undergraduate Experience
Gerald L. Wilson, Duke University
And The Top Ten Are … 187
Rick Poland – Flagler College

VI. The Law School Experience 191

Law School: What Is It And How Does It Differ From 193
Undergraduate Education? Abbie Willard, Ph.D.,
Georgetown University Law
Center, (reprinted by permission)
Clinical Education Programs - An Overview* 197
Robert M. Bloom, Boston College Law School
New York Law School Aligns with the Evolving Legal Marketplace 199
Anthony Crowell, New York Law School
The First Year 201
Ryan VanGrack, Duke University 2001, Harvard Law School 2005,
Senior Advisor at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission

VII Resources for Pre-Law Advisers 206
New Pre-Law Advisor Resources 207
Jamie Thomas-Ward, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Key Questions regarding Law Schools 209
Elsabeth Steele Hutchinson, University of Hawai'i at Manoa/William S.
Richardson School of Law
Suggested Websites for Prospective Law Students 211
Pamela Bloomquist, Loyola Chicago School of Law
The BEST Books, Websites, Blogs, & Twitter Handles: A Map to 213
Finding the Best Pre-Law Resources
Karen Graziano , Villanova University
Resources for Pre-Law Advisors 221
Scott Lucas, The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina