Author: mikeyawn

Mike Yawn teaches at Sam Houston State University. In the past few years, he has taught courses on Politics & Film, Public Policy, the Presidency, Media & Politics, Congress, Statistics, Research & Writing, Field Research, and Public Opinion. He has published academic papers in the Journal of Politics, Political Behavior, Social Security Quarterly, Film & History, American Politics Review, and contributed a chapter to the textbook Politics and Film. He also contributes columns, news analysis, and news stories to newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express News, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Stamford Advocate, Greenwich Time, Huron Daily Tribune, Laredo Morning Times, Beaumont Enterprise, Connecticut Post, and Midland Reporter Telegram. Yawn is also active in his local community, serving on the board of directors of the local YMCA and Friends of the Wynne. Previously, he served on the Huntsville's Promise and Stan Musial World Series Boards of Directors. In 2007-2008, Yawn was one of eight scholars across the nation named as a Carnegie Civic Engagement Scholar by the Carnegie Foundation.

Midwest, Day One: Big Time in Little Rock

Our Saturday morning began as a cold, rainy day, but we did not let that put a damper on our morning. We ventured into River Market for breakfast to kick start our day. I had the meaty melt omelet from Sweet Soul that quickly satisfied my hunger, Constance had the southwest omelet, and Professor Yawn had grits. Fueled by calories, we made our way to Little Rock Central High School and the nearby Little Rock Central High Museum, where we experienced history and learned more about the civil rights movement.

Little Rock Central High

Little Rock Central High School was once known as “America’s most beautiful high school” because of its blend of art deco and gothic revival architecture.

LRCH_Constance_Alex_WebWe were impressed with the message that the school sent to its students in the architecture itself.  In addition to the beauty of the structure, the front of the building is adorned with four relief statues, each corresponding to a different quality.  The qualities are: Ambition, Personality, Opportunity, and Preparation.

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After admiring the architecture and taking additional photos of us on the steps tread by the Little Rock Nine…

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…and making use of the beautiful colors around us…

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…we made our way to the visitors center where The Little Rock Central High School Museum is located. The museum highlights The Little Rock Nine, who were the nine African-American students chosen to be the first to integrate Little Rock Central High School. The museum had plenty of information on the crisis of 57’ that was shown in different ways.   As with most museums nowadays, it offers interactive experiences, with an entrance showing three screens, each with different information.

LRCH_Entrance_Screens_WebAmidst a discussion of the constitutional background of integration and the equal protection clause, we were reintroduced to the four qualities emphasized by Little Rock Central High: Ambition, Personality, Opportunity, Preparation.

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My favorite section of the museum was a station with a telephone receiver and a small video screen that showed the events that happened during the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, as told by the Little Rock Nine themselves.

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The videos went into detail of what the first day, September 4th was really like, and how they felt that day and every day after. The first person perspective from the museum gave plenty of insight as to how chaotic and difficult it was to desegregate the high school in 1957. The Little Rock Nine described everything they went through which included: having rocks thrown at them, begin beaten up, the verbal abuse, the threatening phone calls to their homes, and the white people who wanted to be their friends but were too scared.

The Old Mill

After leaving Little Rock Central High, we headed to “The Old Mill,” the last surviving set from Gone With the Wind.

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The Old Mill is known for being the last surviving piece of the 1939 film, Gone With the Wind. The Old Mill at T.R. Memorial Park was truly breathtaking, and definitely a site to see. We were welcomed by the trees that were changing colors due to the season, which made The Old Mill look even more picturesque than expected. The park is decorated with tree-entwined bridges that at first glance look like real trees, but were really constructed out of concrete by Senor Dionico Rodriguez. We were able to climb the tree-entwined bridge that crossed over the water and walk into The Old Mill.

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It’s difficult to describe the beauty of the Old Mill.  In addition to the Mill itself…

Old_Mill_Constance_2_Web…there is the stone cabin with open windows, perfect for photographs…

Old_Mill_Constance_Alex_Web…and the concrete, faux wooden bridge was a perfect prop for photographs, such as this one…

Old_Mill_Constance_Alex_Bridge_Web…or this one…

Old_Mill_Alex_Constance_Bridge_Closer_Web… or this one…

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There are also some interesting some side areas in the park.  We were able, for example, to climb up…

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and into a well.

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Which, as our professor noted, is one of the reasons we sign waivers before going on trips.

Lunch

After taking advantage of the picturesque environment we made our way to Whole Hog Cafe for a delicious lunch.

IMG_0928One of the best things about Whole Hog Cafe is that they have six different types of BBQ sauce on the table.   This allows guests to sample the flavors and then go with their favorite choice.  For our table, # 5, “Sweet, Dark, And Bold Molasses Flavor,” was the favorite.

Arkansas Arts Center

Following lunch, we made our way to a fine jewel in Arkansas culture, the Arkansas Arts Center.

Arkansas_Arts_Center_Constance_WebHome to more than 600 years of art, the Arkansas Arts Center proved compelling from Our America, the Latino exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian, to its permanent collection.

We had the pleasure of being escorted through the Latino exhibit by a museum docent who pointed out the intricacies in the portraits of the exhibit. Our tour began with a viewing of two side-by-side portraits by Scherezade Garcia, named The Dominican York, and Santo Trujillo is Dead.

Garcia_Art…which our tour guide believed were distinguished largely by tone…

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Inspired by the struggle and aspirations of immigrants traveling to the states from their homelands, Garcia’s work mixed a compelling use of sequins, charcoal, ink, and acrylic to portray the hardships and opportunities immigrants encountered on their journeys. Next, we stopped at a painting by Juan Sanchez titled Para Don Pedro.

Sanchez_Art

The collage paid homage to Pedro Albizu Campos, a politician and leader in the Puerto Rican Independence Movement. Although beautiful in its own right, we found the work to be a bit too abstract and overwhelming to enjoy, comparatively, but were interested in the concepts.  Moving on, we viewed two pieces by New Yorker, Elia Alba called Larry Levan (snake) and Larry Levan (three is better than one).

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…

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Ms. Alba sought to display the incongruity between the third culture of immigrants and Hispanics in the United States with the American culture, seen in the awkward joining of faces to mismatched bodies. For the viewer, the works evoked discomfort due to lack of aesthetic beauty, much like the discomfort felt by those of different cultural backgrounds during the Civil Rights Movement. After viewing a few more works, notably a sculpture by Luis Jimenez,

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Man on Fire, who taught notable Huntsville artist Jesus Moroles, and being surprised by a sculpture by Mr. Moroles himself, Georgia Stele…

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We bid adieu to our docent and set off to spend a few quick minutes exploring the permanent collection. Considering anything in Arkansas to be a “jewel” would be hard to those not knowing what the state has to offer. That said, the Arts Center happens to be home to many world-renowned artists, Monet, Renoir, Picasso, and Rembrandt to name a few. We particularly enjoyed Monet’s Effet de soleil couchant, Port-Villez (Effect of the Sun Setting, the Seine at Port-Villez)…

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….full of dark purples and greens to catch the eye, and Picasso’s Aureau ailé contemple par quatre enfants (Winged Bull Gazing on Four Children), depicting children being frightened by an almost dragon-like bull.

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Needing to make it to our next destination on time, we hurried out of the Arkansas Art Center after only spending very little time in their exhibit halls. Impressed by the collection in a state that does not get much cultural street cred, we left intrigued and hopeful to discover more famous artists at our upcoming art destinations.

 

Bill Clinton Presidential Library and Museum

Full from our saucy lunch at Whole Hog Café, we drove back into Little Rock proper to explore, quickly I might add, the Bill Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. The 42nd President of the United States, and 42nd Governor of Arkansas, President Clinton was long-time resident of Little Rock, having grow up here and also served as Attorney General and Governor of the state.  As President, Clinton promised to be a “bridge into the 21st century, and the Clinton Museum reflects that metaphor, standing almost suspended over the ground and toward the Arkansas River.

Armed with a little less than an hour, Alex and I took off up the escalator to explore as much as possible in such a short time. Confronted with columns on each side of both floors and exhibits interspersed between, we learned that the museum was modeled to copy The Long Room at the Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

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We were surprised to also find a Dale Chihuly piece, Crystal Tree of Light, inside. It was one of two that was made for the White House Millennium celebration held on New Years Eve in 1999. After being hung in the White House, one of the pieces was donated to the Clinton Presidential Foundation in 2004 and resides permanently in the library now.

With less time available, we read about Clinton’s accomplishments as president, his work in Foreign Service, including the many State dinners he held, and the First Lady’s work alongside her husband. Inspired by the power President Clinton held, even Alex was caught day dreaming about one day being a cabinet member to influence great change in our country.

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We ran out of time in the library to really grasp all that President Clinton’s time in office is known for but were impressed by the vast information made available by the museum and the organized nature of it all. Exhilarated by the change enacted between 1993 and 2001, we made our way back into the rainy weather to, hopefully, tour Little Rock by Segway.

Little Rock Segway Tour

We’ve segwayed quite a few cities: Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and, now, Little Rock, AR.  It’s hard to pick a favorite from among these, but Little Rock ranks high on this list because it’s such a picturesque city.  The views were complemented by our knowledgeable and laid-back tour guide, Henry Barker.

Barker took us to the Clinton Presidential Library, along the Bill Clark wetlands preserve, to Heifer International and, even though we had seen many of these areas, he filled in details we didn’t know.  Heifer, for example, won a Platinum rating from LEED for using mostly recyclable materials and because the materials came from within 500 miles of Little Rock.

Segway_Heifer_WebAnd when segwaying along the Bill Clark wetlands area, we saw an egret.

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The most fun, however, came when we glided along the river market area.  We saw the many sculptures along the riverway…

Segway_Alex_Constance_Stephanie_Web…stopped for a bit to play on Little Rock’s amazing playground, which has a high-speed slide…

Slide_galvan_Webb…a tunnel system, which Alex took to like an enthusiastic groundhog, and a spider-web jungle gym…

Spider_Web_Constance_Alex_Web…

Spider_Web_Alex_WebWe also spent some time at the H. U. Lee International Gate and Garden, which honors H. U. Lee, the founder of the American Taekwondo Association.  Strangely, Mr. Lee decided to settle in Little Rock because it reminded him of South Korea.

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We also stopped to let our friends and fellow members of LEAP that we wished they were here with us.  So, Austin, Karla, Kaitlyn, Jazmin, Beatriz, Caitlin, Bella, Brian, Jamaus, and Megan, we wish you were along with us!

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Dinner and Moving On

After a day of touring the city, we had worked up a hunger, and there’s no better place to eat in the River Market area than Sonny Williams.  We began our meal with an appetizer of Elk and Alligator, and followed it with Lamb Chops and Creole Seafood.

And with all that food in us, we decided to take one last walk along the river market area.

Junction_Bridge_Sculpture_Night_WebThe bridges were washed in orange colors, in honor of Halloween.

Junction_Bridge_Night_WebAnd the beautiful view of Little Rock from one of its seven bridges made for a memorable way to end a memorable day.

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Lubbock, Texas in our Rear View Mirror

After considering the question for about 2/7ths of a second, a majority of students thought it would be a good idea to leave Lubbock, Texas on Saturday afternoon, rather than spend another night in Lubbock.  Thus it was at 4:30pm that we drove home from Lubbock and into the path of a Tropical Storm.

Before we left, we stopped at One Guy’s Pizza, which was very good!  It was fortunate that the portions were large because, as it turned out, we wouldn’t be eating again for a long time.

As it turns out, Lubbock looked just fine in our rear view mirror.

Austin, for example, was fascinated by the windmills…

Windmills_Web…although the real windmills actually paled in comparison to Jesus Moroles’s granite windmill at Lubbock’s National Ranching Heritage Center.

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As we moved to central and then east Texas, however, the weather turned stormy.  It was raining heavily by the time we got to Eastland, and the water level rose further as we approached I-45.  Ominously, as we came within 10 miles of 45, we noticed that side roads were closed, with officers blocking them.  Sadly, this was also true when we arrived at I-45.

To get around what we thought was construction, we drove about 20 miles east, toward Seven Points, then southwest to intersect again with 45.  Our plan worked.  We took the ramp to 45 and headed south–at 11:30pm, we were less than two hours from home!

Our joy dimmed somewhat when we realized we were the only ones on the highway.  This, we surmised, was unlikely under normal circumstances.  Within ten miles, we saw that I-45 was completely blocked.  This time we asked the officer what was going on, and he said the highway was closed because of flooding.  He advised that we drive north to Corsicana, then drive west to Waco, then drive south to Bryan, then drive east to Huntsville.

Thirty minutes after being less than 2 hours from home, it was now midnight, and we were almost four hours from home.

But we dutifully slogged our way home.  Of course, just outside of Bryan we were stopped at a Railroad Crossing, waiting for what Austin called “the world’s longest train.”

Train_WebA little after 3:30am, we got to the green lot, and we scattered in separate directions, going home after a long, but successful trip to Lubbock, Texas.

For all of SHSU’s teams, the opportunity to participate on the moot court team has helped us each become well-rounded and develop skills to help prepare us for law school and our careers as attorneys. Each person grew as a result of our moot court preparation and the guidance we received from our coach, Jean Loveall. Half of the team will graduate soon, while the other half is already anticipating next year’s moot court competition. Many thanks go to the Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Association for organizing the competitions each year, Texas Tech Law School for hosting the competition, the LEAP Center for providing the opportunity to compete in Moot Court this year, and our Coach Ms. Loveall who has helped each of the team members grow and learn in preparation for our regional competition.

 

 

 

Moot Court Tournament: Day Two at TTU Law

We knew coming into the tournament that we’d be at TTU Law on Saturday.  What we didn’t know was whether we would be participating.  Late Friday night, after three rounds of competition, we found that one of our teams (Kristyn and James) would, in fact, be competing on Saturday.  They had made a “play in” for the last spot in the “Sweet Sixteen” and their competition was scheduled for 8:00am.

They were scheduled to face a team from TCU, consisting of Luke Erwin and Becca Michelson.  We arrived at about 7:20 that morning, so there was some waiting to do, which we spent preparing for the contest…

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We also took this time to teach Alex how to use the camera (a fortuitous time given Alex’s impending trip to Wisconsin next week).

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…and she took some good photographs, including this one, which Austin photobombed!

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We also spent some time waiting for the opposing team to change and otherwise prepare, so we remained flexible while the judges also waited.

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As with all of the contests, the “debate” lasted 40 minutes, with both sides splitting the time for arguments. Kristyn led off for SHSU’s team…

Second_Day_Kristyn_Speaking_3_Web…and James closed…

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When the debate was over, the students left the room to await the verdict. A few minutes later it came: With two judges voting in favor of SHSU, the Bearkat team advanced!

This made for an exciting morning, which was amped up further when the students had just a few minutes to get to their next contest.  Their 9:00 am contest was against the number one ranked team from Texas A&M.  Coached by Ph.D. candidate Nick Conway and consisting of competitors Kristina Smith and Lakshmi Achari, the TAMU team had prepared extensively.  It showed.

Second_Day_Sweet_Sixteen_Kristyn_Web

The Bearkats worked hard and turned in an impressive argument, but the judges opted for the Aggie team.

With this defeat, the SHSU teams were officially out of the race, but there was still much to do.  Tournament officials gave trophies to those participating in the “Sweet Sixteen” and James and Kristyn were presented with theirs.

Kristyn_James_Awards_Auditorium_WebOther competitors also received trophies.

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All the SHSU participants then retired to one of the law-school rooms for photos, where they took photos…of Chelsea with her gavel

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…Kristyn with her trophy…

Kristyn_Award_2….Chelsea with her coach, Jean Loveall…

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…”Sweet Sixteen” participants James and Kristyn….

James_Kristyn_Awards_2_Web…Chelsea, James, and Kristyn…

Chelsea_James_Kristyn_Awards_2_Web…and the entire team!

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As it turned out, the Aggie team–which had defeated James and Kristyn–made it to the finals against one of three UTD teams present.  The finals were formal, with the judges entering as everyone rose…

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The Tournament Director, Professor Robert Sherwin, served as one of five judges in the final rounds, and Tech students introduced all the judges and made some comments before the final competition.

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All the competitors in the final deserved to be there, presenting themselves well.  In the end, TAMU fell just short in a very close contest.  The UTD team, consisting of Alexandra Noll and Blake Eaton and coached by Anne Dutia, had actually been defeated by SHSU in the UNT Scrimmage two weeks ago, but they were better prepared today, and their preparation paid off with the title of tournament champions!

Champs_JudgesThe end of the tournament was a time of photo-taking, with the runner-ups also getting photos with the judges…

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…and a group photos of the champions and runner ups…

Winners_Judges_Web…and a variety of combinations of winners, coaches, and judges.

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The SHSU students got in the action a bit, speaking with some of the judges and TTU faculty/staff.

Campbell_Tyra_Judges_WebThe end of the competition marked the end of SHSU’s first-ever moot court team’s first competition in the American Moot Court Association’s tournament process. It was a great experience, exposing us to a fine law school, current law students, and some great pre-law undergraduates from across the state of Texas (and beyond)!

Moot Court Tournament: Texas Tech Law School, Day One

Even though the competition started at two, most of us started Friday early.  We began preparing for the events, while one of our coaches scouted out the venue (Texas Tech Law School!) and explored some of the Jesus Moroles’ sculptures on campus.

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But by the early afternoon, after countless hours of preparation, our nerves were beginning to set in.  So, we ate.  Our restaurant was a burger place called Spanky’s, recommended by former Junior Fellow Brandon Reese, who also happens to be an alum of Texas Tech Law School.

Spanky’s advertises its “world famous fried cheese,” and after the server told us that one basket is “only six sticks,” we ordered two baskets.  What we didn’t know is that they cheese sticks are the size of a log.

Couvillion_Fried_Cheese_WebBut we got them down, along with some burgers, and that helped quell some nerves.

Armed with food in our stomachs, we headed to Texas Tech Law School. With the intensity of competition weighing on our shoulders, we had a few extra minutes to practice and prepare before the competition began.

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After competing at the UNT Scrimmage a few weeks ago, our team had a better idea of what to expect; however, there are many unknown variables that a competitor cannot control such as: who your opposing team is, who the judges are, or what questions the judge’s will ask you. Today’s preliminary rounds consisted of three rounds where each team argued once on each side (petitioner and respondent) and a final coin toss round to determine which side each opposing team would argue.

The performances in these three rounds will then be used to determine who competes tomorrow, with the top sixteen teams advancing.  Armed with that mission, we awaited the call to compete.

When the time came to disperse to our respective rooms for competition, our team felt prepared because we knew we invested a substantial amount of time into learning the problem case, developing our arguments, and refining our presentation skills. My co-counsel, Alejandra Galvan, and I argued on the petitioners’ side of the case in our first round.

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For us, the petitioner’s side of the case is more challenging than the respondent’s argument. After each round, the judges provide feedback to the teams giving them the opportunity to improve in the following rounds. This proves to be a useful tool in going forward in the competition. As each round progressed, confidence among the group grew because the judge’s feedback was constructive and positive.

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After completing the final round, Texas Tech Law School catered dinner for us which allowed for a reprieve from the stress of the day while we waited on the final results and scores.

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Participating in Moot Court has numerous benefits, one of which is getting to tour law schools during the competition. Dinner allowed us the opportunity to meet and interact with Texas Tech Law students to gain insight on their law school experience. We also had the chance to meet the Associate Dean of Admissions, LJ Bernhard, who gave us advice on law school applications. In addition to the skills you can acquire and refine, making connections and getting information is a benefit to the Moot Court experience.

Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Association gives awards to the top twenty speakers for the preliminary rounds.Our entire team was excited when Chelsea King won overall twelfth speaker.

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Also, James Perry and Kristyn Couvillion, tied for the sixteenth spot giving them the opportunity to compete in a “play-in round” (equivalent to the wildcard in sports playoffs) tomorrow morning to determine who will win the sixteenth spot.

First_Day_Dinner_Team_11_Announced_WebFollowing a happy first day of competition, we took lots of photos…

First_Day_Group_Photo_Web…including one in the very cool atrium, below a Thomas Jefferson quote…

First_Day_Group_Photo_SHSU_Atrium_WebWe also got pictures of the group from UNT, a group led by Dr. Kimi King, who organizes the tournament.

First_Day_Group_Photo_UNT_WebUNT has been long-time participants and, as expected, their competitors did very well.

We also relaxed a bit…

Alex_Austin_Web…and enjoyed reflecting on the day while winding down.  Well, James and Kristyn didn’t relax so much, but the rest of us did!

 

 

 

Lubbock, Law, and the LSAT

For SHSU’s Moot Court team members, this weekend promised to be a full one.  We headed to Lubbock on Thursday, leaving campus around 1:00pm.  With a tournament on Friday and Saturday, the weekend was sufficiently stressful, but half the team members were also set to get their LSAT scores, adding a bit of stress and spice to a long weekend.

The weekend’s tournament is being held at Texas Tech Law School.  Thirty teams from Texas (plus the powerhouse US Air Force team) will be on hand to compete.  As a sign of the rigor involved, 43 teams originally signed up, but more than a third of these teams dropped out in the week prior to the competition, despite having already paid admission fees.  Preparation for this competition involves reading 19 cases (approximately 20 pages each), and practicing extensively on body language and speech delivery.  We may not win, but all of us are better speakers and more knowledgeable about the law as a result of our work.

With that in mind, we headed west after our Thursday classes. There’s not a lot between Huntsville and Lubbock, Texas, and that made for a long drive, although this did give us some study/prep time, helped on by our coach, Jean Loveall.

Moot_Court_Studying_WebThe drive was made longer by bad weather most of the way.

West_TX_Sky_WebAnd then the drive got more stressful around 6pm, when our three senior members got emails indicating their LSAT scores were available.  Well, this made the drive much more interesting!  After some group discussion, the three seniors decided to postpone opening their emails until they got to the hotel.

Around 8pm, we pulled in to Perini Ranch steakhouse, which is in Buffalo Gap, Texas (about six miles south of Abilene).  The steakhouse’s origins date back to 1973, when Tom Perini began catering for private affairs.  He opened his steakhouse in 1983.  The restaurant did well, but business took off in 1995, when the New York Times recognized his steaks as the “mail-order gift of the year.”  With that recognition, profiles in Texas Highways and Texas Monthly followed, and at the beginning of the G. W. Bush presidency, Perini was asked to serve steaks to members of congress from the White House lawn.  It was a memorable day–not because of the steaks, but because it was scheduled for Tuesday, September 11, 2001.  The “steakout” didn’t happen, at least not on that day, as the history-altering terrorist attacks forced a cancellation.  More happily, Tom and Lisa Perini were invited back to the White House the next year, and the event proved successful.

Thankfully, our dinner lacked international dramatics and, despite the looming LSAT score discovery process, we were able to try some new foods and enjoy the steak.  For appetizers, we all tried “Quail Legs,” which was a new dish for about half of us.  For the entree, we all ordered steaks, which we split.  The steaks have a great flavor, a product of, among other things, a great “streak rub” (which, incidentally, is for sale online and in the restaurant store). For dessert, we had bread pudding (great!), chocolate cake (I didn’t sample, but it got good reviews), and in an experimental flourish, “Jalapeno Cheesecake.” It was very good!

Special mention should be made of the fact that Austin ate three whole jalapenos during dinner. There was no real explanation for this act of self-torture, other than some sort of behavioral distraction from his impending LSAT discovery.  On a related note, Austin also drank six glasses of water at dinner.

After the obligatory pose at the giant armadillo outside of Perini Ranch…

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…we settled in for our final stretch.  We got in at midnight, when the students wasted no time accessing their LSAT scores. The students have worked hard to position themselves for law schools, and their work has paid off.  Armed with solid to strong LSAT scores and excellent grades, their work has been a model for the younger members of the team.

And on that happy note, we moved on to our rooms, hoping to get some rest prior to our competition on Friday!

Mock LSAT & Law School Preparation

For the past five years or so, the LEAP Center/Junior Fellows have teamed with Kaplan Testing to offer a Mock LSAT every semester.   It is part of a larger set of offerings–and informational resources–that SHSU provides to help students fulfill their law-school goals.

Taking the Mock LSAT serves at least two functions: (1) It prepares them for a testing environment, making them more comfortable when they take the real thing, and (2) gives them a better idea of where they stand on the test and, therefore, how much more studying they need to do.

With those objectives in mind, 34 students showed up for the Mock LSAT on Saturday, October 17, 2015.  Ricky Kaplan, an instructor from Kaplan Testing, joined them, providing the test and, afterward, a few pointers.

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The actual test is approximately four hours long.  There are five sections of the test, and each is 35 minutes long, with a short break in between.  One of the five section is “experimental,” meaning that only four of the sections count, but the takers do not know which one is real and which is experimental.  At the end, there is a 35 minute writing section.  The writing section doesn’t count toward the LSAT score (120-180 scale), but it is sent to the law schools.

The Mock LSAT doesn’t have the experimental section or the writing section, but it is the closest thing that students are likely to get to the real test.  Often, students take the test at home under less-than-realistic conditions (untimed or generously timed sections, frequent breaks) and then score much lower on the real test.

The LSAT is offered four times a year: in February, in June, in late September (or early October), and in December.  Planning ahead is a key factor for students.  The December test, for example, occurs the Saturday before finals.  The February test occurs after some law schools’ application deadlines.  Planning your college career such that you will be able to prepare for the LSAT, take it during a fortuitous time, and still get all applications in is part of the law-school success story.

Not surprisingly, according to national data, students with better GPAs and LSAT tend to apply earlier in the application process, with lower scorers and lower GPA-students applying well into the spring.  To elaborate, about half of the students apply before January 15 of the year they want to be admitted.  Of the students who apply by January 15, the mean LSAT/GPA is about 157/3.28.  Of those who apply in March/April, the mean LSAT/GPA is less than 150/3.1.  In short, students who have prepared more fully throughout their college careers tend not to procrastinate, have less need to retake the LSAT, and can more easily get letters of recommendation and other materials together.

One other set of facts that might be interesting.  What majors are most likely to get into law school?  The information below provides students’ majors, the percentage of students with that major accepted to law school, and the total number of students with that major accepted to law school.  Political Science again leads the way, with about three times as many POLS students admitted to law school as any other major.

POLS: 81.3%, 11,791
Psychology: 79.05%, 4,133
History: 84.22%, 3,420
English: 80.81%, 3,230
Criminal Justice: 64.07%, 2,473
Economics: 83.07%, 2,518
Philosophy: 85.48%, 2,255
Sociology: 73.02%, 1,624
Communications: 74.84%, 1,541
Business Administration: 67.60%, 1,258
Accounting: 73.26%, 882
Marketing: 73.12%, 703
Management: 62.28%, 317
Classics: 88.42%, 275
Social Work: 58.23%, 145

As expected, the results tend to track with the breakdown of LSAT scores by major.  At the top of the rung, you have majors such as Philosophy (157.4 mean LSAT), English, and POLS.  The bottom four, all coming in below the national average, include Sociology, Communications, Business Administration, and Criminal Justice.

The results aren’t surprising.  Majors with the most reading involved (Philosophy, Classics, History, POLS, English) have acceptance rates above 80%.  Bright, intellectually curious students tend to be attracted to these majors, and the majors tend to encourage (require!) lots of reading and critical thinking.

More hands-on oriented majors such as Criminal Justice and Business tend to perform less well on the LSAT and, by extension, tend not to get into law school at the same rates.  The same is true for the “soft” social sciences, such as Sociology and Social work.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that switching your major will help you get into law school.  The best strategy is to follow the field you love, and you’ll likely study more and make better grades.  But if that field doesn’t require a lot of reading (or a lot of rigorous reading) or much in the way of critical thinking and writing, then you may wish to add an academically rigorous minor and/or to supplement your formal curriculum with much leisure reading and some organizational work that will require genuine critical thinking (e.g., Moot Court).

Over the past ten years, law school applications have generally declined.  The number of applicants ten years ago, for example, was 37% higher than this past year across the nation.  But that has not been true at SHSU.  In fact, law school applications from SHSU have gone in the opposite direction.  In 2005, 67 people applied to law school.  Since then, applications have increased 50%, and the number of SHSU students accepted to law school has tripled.

As a result, no doubt in part because of the Mock LSAT and other preparatory offerings at SHSU, the University is now one of the “Top 240 Feeder Schools” as measured by the law school admissions council.  After moving onto the list in 2009, SHSU now ranks 156 in the country, in the top six percent nationally.