Welcome to the first issue of the Stanford Pre-Law Society's e-newsletter. Our monthly newsletters will aim to be an important and easily accessible channel of communication with our members and supporters.

Please note that to continue receiving this newsletter, you will need to become a member of SPLS. (Just being on the "joint-prelaw" mailing list does not make you an actual member). To join, just fill out a simple form on our website.

In this edition:

• Who is the Stanford Pre-Law Society?
• Become of a Member of SPLS!
• Learning about Law School: Evening JD Programs
• Pre-Law Tip of the Month
• Undergraduate Law-related Classes for Winter Quarter 07-08
• Get Sponsored to Work in Public Interest Law
• Fall Quarter Event Recaps
• Upcoming Events

The Stanford Pre-Law Society is an undergraduate organization dedicated to bringing together members of the Stanford community interested in the law and in pursuing legal careers. We are a community of like-minded students who wish to help members of the student body reach informed decisions about their futures. Every year we host a diverse program of speaker events, information sessions on law school admissions, lunches with Stanford Law School professors and law school students. In addition to programming, we work with other student organizations to build community, understanding, and a common vision.

The executive board forms the core of SPLS's leadership (read about them here), but we welcome suggestions and initiatives from our general membership. If you would like to contact the SPLS presidents, you can e-mail them at president@stanfordprelaw.com.

Joining SPLS is easy - just register on our website.

The benefits of becoming a member of SPLS include:

• Invitations to exclusive, members-only events with lawyers and law professors
• Receiving this newsletter every month
• Discounts off of certain LSAT prep courses
• Eligibility for our mentorship program with the law school and our leadership intern program (autumn quarter applications)
• Priority in the SPLS & Rotaract LSAT Preparation Scholarship

Simply being on the "joint-prelaw" mailing list does NOT make you a member of SPLS. Register on our website to receive all of the above benefits!

The hidden gem of the law school world is the part-time program; many nationally and regionally high-ranking universities offer programs perfect for students seeking to work while they carry out their legal studies. Apart from giving students the opportunity to hold down a job while they study, part-time JD programs can also be cheaper than full-time programs and have less competitive admission statistics. Many universities in the DC area have part time programs (including Georgetown University Law Center, American University's Washington College of Law, The George Washington University Law School and The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law) that would allow students to work in government while pursuing their JD. Other universities with part-time programs include Boston University, Fordham University, and New York Law School. Local universities with part-time programs include Santa Clara University School of Law and the University of San Francisco's School of Law. You can search through more programs using the ABA's online guide to law schools. One thing to keep in mind is the workload: admissions officers are quick to point out that evening classes on top of a full-time job can be an intense undertaking.

If you're planning to apply to law school as a senior, taking the LSAT before your senior year will help make the application process less stressful (you'll have enough to deal with, between collecting recommendations and writing personal statements) as well as helping you to judge where your application will be most competitive.

Law schools do not require any specific major or undergraduate coursework, but if you're interested in taking classes related to law, here is what's being offered this quarter:

For more complete information and the most up-to-date meeting times and location, see the course listings on Axess.

The Haas Center for Public Service manages a public interest law fellowship, which provides undergraduate Stanford students with funding ($4000) to work in an agency or firm of their choice, in the field of their choice, over the summer months. Fellows are matched with an academic mentor while they work in such places as the ACLU, The Center for Adolescent Health & the Law, California Rural Legal Assistance, and the U.S. Government Federal Public Defenders. If you're thinking of applying, then you should start formulating your application as soon as possible, since you'll need to know where you want to work and get in touch with them before filling out the application (more information can be found here). The deadline for applications is Wednesday, February 6.

Interested in finding out about other opportunities to work in law-related jobs over the summer? The "resources" section of our website features recent job listings, internships, and fellowship opportunities.

Missed an SPLS event you wanted to go to because of a schedule conflict? Not to worry -- in this section of our newsletter, we'll include highlights from our most interesting events.

Dean's Visit with Ed Tom of Boalt Hall

Last October, we were very fortunate to host Ed Tom, Dean of Admissions at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall, as a part of our annual autumn Dean's Visit series with the UAR. Inspiring and enthusiastic, Dean Tom presented students with numerous nuggets of wisdom regarding the law school admissions process. He maintained that Boalt looks for a specific subset of people who want a JD. "Our professors want colleagues, not students," he advised. "That's what we look for in all applicants. We want to educate future policymakers." Above all, Dean Tom emphasized that the decision to attend law school is a calling, not a default decision. Unfortunately, he encounters many students who don't know what they're getting into and offered several questions to help determine one's aptitude for law school:

• Are you an opinionated person?
• Can you articulate through writing and verbally?
• Can you play the devil's advocate?
• Do you care who wins?
• Are you detail-oriented, organized, almost to the point of being compulsive?
• Do you like school?

If you answered affirmatively to the above questions, then law school may be right for you!

After talking more generally about the qualities you should ideally possess if considering law school, Dean Tom moved into the specifics of Boalt's admissions process. Unlike many "numbers-based" schools, Boalt evaluates each application holistically. Dean Tom reads nearly every application submitted, and instead of jumping to the LSAT score and GPA, he first reads the personal statement. Boalt's application uniquely allows you to write up to 4 pages for your personal statement, which Dean Tom suggests students use "as an opportunity to develop your voice." Because Boalt admits applicants on a rolling basis, he also strongly recommends that students submit their applications early.

Pacific Pre-Law Conference

Our capstone event of November, the Pacific Pre-Law Conference, brought together representatives from 58 law schools around the country. Students had the opportunity to meet and talk informally with these representatives about their respective schools and the admissions process. In case you didn't get around to every table, SPLS talked to every representative and has compiled an information sheet with the program highlights of each school. Click here to download it!

Want to stay up-to-date on SPLS events? Add our calendar to your Google calendar!

Law vs. Business School Panel - Tuesday, January 22, 7-9PM, Old Union Room 200

Come hear current law, business, and JD/MBA students from the Graduate School of Business & Stanford Law School discuss their experiences and why they chose the path they did.

Shadowing Week at the Law School - January 28 through February 1

Attend various classes at the Stanford Law School to get a better idea of what law school is like. Information about how to sign up for this unique opportunity will be emailed out and posted on our website soon.

Beyond Public Defenders: Public Interest Law Decoded - Monday, February 25, 6-7PM

Come to this presentation and panel discussion to learn more about the nuts and bolts of public interest law and get your questions answered.

Upcoming SPLS events also include our Lunch with a Law Professor series and an LSAT seminar. Check your email and our website for dates and details in the coming weeks!

Thanks for reading! We are always interested in hearing your feedback, so feel free to drop us a line at president@stanfordprelaw.com.