Law Day educates potential lawyers

The Tufts Lawyers Association (TLA) sponsored the first Law Day on the Hill last Thursday. The event, which was held in Dowling Hall, was intended to give students the opportunity to network with Tufts grads while learning about careers in law.

Law Day included several panels developed in order to give students a better understanding of what it takes to pursue a law career. Some of the themes included: The Legal Classroom, Understanding the Practice of Law, Non-Traditional Legal Careers, and Law School Admissions.

According to Gretchen Dobson, the main Alumni Relations liaison for TLA, the student turnout was strong. "We met our goal and have a solid understanding of where to grow," she said.

"Tufts Lawyers Association is among the first alumni organizations based on profession rather than region or class year," said Tufts graduate William Labovitz, who helped set-up the event. Law Day marked the first collaboration between the TLA and undergraduate students.

Alumni Relations served as the main point of contact between the campus and TLA for Law Day. Other campus contacts included Associate Dean and pre-law adviser Jeanne Dillon and Tufts Pre-Law Society president, Lucinda Ciano.

A planning committee that included campus members and leaders of Tufts Lawyers Association met before the event to discuss and develop ideas for panels which would best cover any questions students might have in considering a law degree or profession.

According to Dillon, about 100 graduates from each class go on to law school straight after graduation, with an additional 200 attending after time in the work field. Dillon stresses that anyone, even graduates, can make an appointment to learn more about the application process.

Students who attended the event offered a generally positive response to the discussions in the panels. "The mock classroom was a good specific breakdown," senior Political Science major Matt Cravens said. "It was good because it showed me what it would be like if I went to law school, and you want to be sure it's right for you if you are going to spend that kind of money."

Freshmen Jordana Starr, also a Political Science major, had already decided that she wanted to attend law school and pursue a career in constitutional law. According to Starr, the panels were "very helpful in giving insight about law school and lots of depth."

A major problem with pre-law at Tufts, which the event was designed to mitigate, is that aside from select students who are certain that they are going to pursue a law degree, the awareness of the services available for students considering law is practically nonexistent. While pursuing law is popular at Tufts, many students toil through the process alone, because they are unaware of the different services, according to event organizers.

Both the Tufts Lawyers Association and Alumni Relations office are eager to continue Law Day on the Hill as an annual event. According to Dobson next year's Law Day will be held at a different time of the year and later in the day, in an attempt to avoid class conflicts with students and increase attendance.

The organization is also planning on creating a website with a directory of lawyers that graduated from Tufts, which would allow students to find a contact person in their region or to pursue internship opportunities.

Despite a campus wide e-mail and posting on Tuftslife, some students felt there was not enough advertisement around campus. One sophomore stated, "I generally delete any campus-wide emails sent out."

The Tufts Lawyers Association was officially established in February of 2003 under the leadership of George Hirsch (LA '74) and currently consists of about 50 Tufts graduates who went on to pursue law degrees and careers in a variety of law fields, with membership expected to grow as word spreads.

According to Labovitz, the association's goals are to provide service to Tufts, educate students in law and ethics, and to provide a networking base for students interested in pursuing a law degree.