For the past seven years the Junior Fellows/LEAP Center has offered a Mock LSAT each semester to help students prepare for the real deal. The LEAP Center encourages students of all classifications to take the Mock LSAT, which is generously sponsored by Kaplan Testing. For freshmen and sophomores, the Mock LSAT provides an idea of what the test is like. A lot of younger pre-law students, for example, think the test asks about the law. It doesn’t. It asks questions about reading comprehension, logic, and arguments.
For juniors and seniors, it provides an idea of how close they are to being prepared to take official LSAT. This has to be planned out, because the LSAT should be taken the year before the student wishes to enroll in law school.
Forty-seven students showed up for this spring’s Mock LSAT, following a showing of 51 in the fall of 2014. These are the largest class of Mock LSAT takers in SHSU history, a testament to the University’s growing number of pre-law students.
The LEAP Center will follow up this Mock LSAT opportunity with many other law-related activities:
These programs are part of the LEAP Center’s mission of helping students achieve their professional goals. To attend any of the upcoming events, contact Professor Mike Yawn at mike.yawn@shsu.edu.
Sam Houston State University’s Austin Internship Program, run by the LEAP Center, is off to a rollicking start.
After undergoing orientation training from the crack staff in HR and Career Services, the eight Austin Interns–Oscar Aguilar, Jessica Rodriguez, Lexi Gonzales, Sadie McLaughlin, Ariel Traub, Lupe Cuellar, Shelby O’brien, and Sarah Landsman–underwent an orientation in Austin, Texas. The event was to start with a Segway tour of Austin, but with freezing rain in the forecast, we switched quickly to an iFLY tour. It wasn’t a tour so much, but it was a fun way to start the day.
The day began with an orientation on iFLY’s unique flight system, which evoked some anxiety while also bringing smiles.
But it was the flights that brought the big smiles. iFLY doesn’t provide a long time in the air, but it’s a lot of fun. Some of us were better than others, but all had a good time, or at least were glad they tried.
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The flights also provide that wind-blown look that is so flattering, perfectly complementing the smart flight suits.
Following the adrenaline rush of iFly, we moved to Quack’s Bakery on 43rd for a caffeine rush and some pastries. For those who haven’t tried this mid-town delight, it’s definitely worth it. Try the ginger crinkle cookies or the chocolate ginger; you can’t go wrong.
There was also some good conversation, with equal measure astonishment, disbelief, and delight.
But, mostly, it was about the cupcakes.
Armed with coffee and sugar, we embarked to the 2nd Bar + Kitchen, where we met Blake Roach, Emily Johnson, President Hoyt, and her husband John Hoyt.
It was an enjoyable time for everyone, and we were very impressed and honored that Mr. Hoyt and President Hoyt drove in to spend time with us. It’s a reflection of the support we’ve received since we started this 140 day Austin odyssey.
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It was a great group outing, which we ended with a great group photo!
With the fun over, we prepared for our professional photographs in the capitol building. Of course, we couldn’t go to the Capitol without getting a photo alongside Elizabet Ney’s statue of Sam Houston…
But that was just one of many of our stops. We also stopped in the extension, looking up at the Capitol dome…
…outdoors…
…in the House of Representatives’ chamber in front of the podium…
…and individual shots of us, with Sam Houston looking over our shoulder.
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Indeed, these photographs with Sam Houston’s portrait on the wall serve as a kind of a metaphor for our time thus far. We have lots of family, friends, and University officials looking out for us, and ensuring we have a great time and learn a whole lot–even while dealing with dangerous flying missions and firearms!
On behalf of all the Austin Interns, we’d like to thank Paul Olle for the great photographs, President Hoyt for this wonderful opportunity, SHSU for supporting its students, and the following legislative offices:
Students with the LEAP Center engaged in a global discussion with a well-positioned source early in the spring semester. Roberta Jacobson, the Assistant Secretary of State, tackled topics such as democracy, energy, relations with Cuba, and democratization, giving SHSU students insight into diplomacy at the highest levels.
“It was a great opportunity to meet with one of the President’s key advisers,” noted LEAP Center Vice President Megan Chapa. “And to complement our classroom learning with a practitioner’s view.”
Indeed, Secretary Jacobson recently returned from historic talks in Cuba, becoming the highest-ranking official to visit Cuba in 40 years. Her visit included an exchange with dissidents, a meeting that drew criticism from Cuba’s leaders, but which was part of a larger odyssey to thawing relations with its Communist neighbor.
In her speech, Secretary Jacobson stressed the importance of trying a new approach in Cuba, after more than a half of a century of stagnant relations. Ms. Jacobson also discussed happenings in South America, where she had hopeful things to say about Argentina and Colombia. She tempered these hopeful comments, however, with an overview of the history of Latin America and the difficulties the region has faced with corruption, the drug trade, and achieving basic democratic objectives.
Although the bulk of her speech addressed the Americas, Ms. Jacobson also touched on China. Rather than seeing China’s growth as a threat to US power, she argued that growth would likely open China, and increase its demands for US products, helping both China and the US.
For the students, the discussion was an opportunity to hear from an extremely knowledgeable “guest lecturer,” while also serving as a call to learn more about international relations.
This week’s LEAP Center event offered students a rare opportunity: the chance to listen and ask questions of an average citizen thrust into incredible circumstances. Michael Morton, famous for his new-found freedom after being wrongfully convicted for his wife’s murder, spoke at the Brazos Bookstore in Houston before one of his book signings for his memoir, Getting Life.
During his remarks, Morton stressed two major themes: (1) his humility and gratitude to those who assisted him, such as the Innocence Project and attorney John Raley, (2) forgiveness as a means of re-gaining control of life. For a man who spent 25 years in prison after being wrongly convicted, Morton seemed remarkably well adjusted, friendly, and lacking in bitterness.
Michael Morton
For us as college students living in a world of constant stimulation, the monotony of prison life described by Morton seem unthinkable. To survive a quarter of a century under those conditions seems impossible. Morton endured this imprisonment, while also mourning the vicious murder of his wife, and the loss of a relationship with his son. Morton’s courage in the face of such daunting circumstances provided us with some real perspective, and we left the event reflecting on our lives, feeling grateful for our freedom and other privileges.
As students of the law, many of us felt a keen sense of shame and disbelief that the criminal justice system could fall so short of the ideals set for it, that justice could sometimes be corrupted, even if in isolated incidents. For those students considering criminal law as a possible career, Michael Morton’s words served as a reminder of the ethics necessary to call oneself a member of the Bar and the challenges facing practitioners in putting society before self.
Indeed, the speech provided “CLE”—continuing legal education—units for the attorneys there, and there were many. Governor Mark White introduced Morton. Representative Sissy Farenthold was there, almost seventy years after she was one of three women admitted to UT Law School. There were 797 men admitted that year. And attorney John Raley, who helped free Morton, was also there. It was a good night for people watching.
Governor Mark White & Students
And for conversing. LEAP Center Vice-President Constance Gabel asked Morton what advice he might give to students who aspired to become lawyers. He responded, “Be one of the good guys.”
Governor White jumped in, arguing that once Gabel read Morton’s book, the difference between good lawyers and bad lawyers would be clear. After the event, Governor White, Attorney Raley, and other judges and attorneys engaged us with real-life examples of the good and bad. Interestingly, Carol Vance, the former Harris County DA who was a speaker at a previous LEAP Center event, featured prominently in the stories of good attorneys.
Governor Mark White, John Raley, And LEAP Center Students
Following the book signing at Brazos Bookstore, we took a short drive down the street to the Istanbul Grill and Deli to enjoy some authentic Turkish food. Representative of Turkey, the restaurant décor was simplistic, yet incorporated traditional elements of the Turkish culture such as the eye of protection and the hamsa displayed throughout the restaurant. Before the main course, we sampled many different types of meze, similar to relishes or small appetizers. The tzatziki sauce was a crowd favorite when paired with the warm pita bread fresh from the brick oven. We also sampled the humus, tabuli, ezme, and various other types of meze. All had a distinct flavor and were delicious.
For our main course, the group ordered various meals. Some enjoyed the vegetarian options such as the mantar (stuffed mushrooms); another tried the donor (gyro) sandwich; and another tried the iskender, which involved both a yogurt base and a tomato-sauce topping. Most dishes were served with rice and a garden salad.
After everyone finished their meals, most indulged by enjoying baklava for dessert. The popular sweet and buttery pastry was the perfect way to end an eventful night in Houston. With full stomachs and a sense of gratitude, we departed for Huntsville.
We left the hotel this morning excited to be attending the historic inauguration of Greg Abbot and Dan Patrick. For it being our first inauguration, we were fortunate to get some of the best seats, right behind the VIP section. Standing for hours before the event…
…we had the opportunity to watch the audience fill in, witness anxious news reporters parade around, and get views of snazzy Texan attire.
The festivities helped put us in the political spirit, with an F-16 flyover, the UT band playing patriotic songs, and a choir performing Texas-themed music. Karla Rosales, one of our freshmen members, was also interviewed for television!
We watched as Dan Patrick and his wife strutted under the swords and across the stage, to a solid round of applause. Governor-elect Greg Abbot and his family, however, received resounding applause, and the crowd—and the candidates—were ready.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick was sworn in by his son, Judge Ryan Patrick. Prior to his speech, he greeted the crowd with a selfie, and vowed that every day would be a “New Day in Texas”…
…while also suggesting he would be the “best Lieutenant Governor ever.”
Governor Abbot’s inaugural speech was preceded by a 21-cannon salute, and the cannons had a loud, percussive effect. Our cameras shook. Abbott focused on his family and inclusion, stating that “Family everything,” and congratulating his wife on being the first Latina First Lady. Abbott discussed his injuries, which resulted from an accident some thirty years ago, and gave thanks go God and the upward-mobility culture of Texas for his ability to rise to Governor.
The inauguration was followed by a BBQ on the front lawn. Being a Texas BBQ, it was big—with helpings for 17,000. We ate picnic style in front of our state’s capitol building—what a tale for our kids one day.
After enjoying the Inaugural Barbecue lunch, we headed into the Capitol building for a quick tour. Awed by the architecture of the building, we noted how intricate many of the details were, such as the door hinges and the ornate wooden molding. We traveled up one of the historic staircases to the second floor to enter the House of Representatives and then the Senate. Since the legislature was not in session today due to the Governor’s Inauguration, visitors were able to admire the chambers.
We also searched among the Governor’s portraits in the rotunda, finding our favorites (Sam Houston, of course!). We also visited the courtroom where the Texas Supreme Court met until 1959 when the Supreme Court moved to a building of its own near the capitol.
We took the opportunity of conveniently being at the Capitol during legislative session to visit some of the legislative interns from Sam Houston. We visited the office of the second-longest serving member of the Texas legislature (Rep. Senfronia Thompson), where Jessica Rodriguez is interning. We also visited Lexi Gonzales in Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez’s office, and stopped by to Melva Gomez and Sadie McLaughlin in Representative John Otto’s office.
We also stopped by to see Ariel Traub, but she was hobnobbing at the Inaugural Parade, but we were fortunate to get a tour of the office by Senator Charles Schwertner himself! Very personable and friendly, Senator Schwertner was a great person to end our tour of the Texas Capitol and such an awe-inspiring day.
We left the Capitol, sadly, to head back to Sam Houston and Huntsville. On the way out of town we had the chance to stop at Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery. There we re-caffeinated for the drive home and enjoyed some delicious treats, such as their Raspberry Tart and Ginger Crinkle cookies. We then embarked on the three-hour drive home, reminiscing about our fast-paced trip to the Capitol and looking forward to our chances of maybe representing Sam Houston as interns on the hill one day soon.
LEAP Center Students had a great chance to explore international careers as they met with representatives from the State Department, NASA, FBI, and the non-profit organization Pangea. It was a rare chance to get face time with representatives from these groups, and the LEAP Center students were the only college students on hand to take advantage of this opportunity.
Although the students knew much about opportunities with the FBI and the State Department, the students were exposed for the first time to the work of Pangea, which provides resources to women in developing countries. And while the students were familiar with NASA, they hadn’t thought of NASA as an international career option. But after hearing of their hiring practices and the International Space Station, we realized that NASA was not only Interstellar, but also International!
SHSU Students Listen to NASA’s Grier Wilt
Students received numerous tips for how to achieve a career in international affairs, including:
Make good grades
Learn about another culture, by studying abroad, if possible
Learn a second language
Do internships, particularly those with international connections
An advanced degree is preferred but not necessary
Happily, these tips fit right into the LEAP Center’s mission, which is to broaden horizons, stress academics, and gain internships in the professional world.
The students spent the bulk of their time with the always generous John Roberts, from the State Department…
John Roberts & LEAP Center Students
…who amplified on these tips, and encouraged the students to apply to the State Department. In fact, he discussed the possibility of coming to SHSU with the hopes of following up and recruiting additional students!
Each semester, the LEAP Center partners with Kaplan Testing to offer SHSU students a Mock LSAT–a real LSAT test that provides students with an evaluation of their current performance on the test. This semester, some 50 students took the practice test.
SHSU Mock LSAT
There were a couple of unusual factors about this semester’s exam. First, Ryan Brim, a 15 year old, took the test, and he performed quite well. In fact, he scored in the top half of the group. Second, Jamey Portina, an SHSU freshman, scored a 175, probably the highest score ever recorded from an SHSU student.
The LEAP Center and Kaplan will offer another practice test in early February, followed by an LSAT Prep course on campus this spring. The classes will take place on Tue and Thu, with the first class being Tue, March 17. Students will attend two meetings a week through Thu, April 16. This provides seven core learning classes of four hours each and three practice tests. By offering such courses on SHSU’s campus, the LEAP Center hopes to provide students with the resources needed to improve their scores, build a network of aspiring lawyers, and promote education about the legal field.
Students who would like to sign up for the course should go to Kaplan’s website. SHSU students will receive a discount. Students interested in the discount or additional details may contact Kaplan’s Regional Manager Kayla Briel: kayla.briel@kaplan.com.
After an exciting afternoon meeting David Berg, attorney and author of Run, Brother, Run, we packed up two cars and headed for Nacogdoches! We could feel the excitement build the closer we got to Nacogdoches, anticipation of our observation of a Moot Court Scrimmage and, more immediately, an adventurous evening of zip lining.
We arrived in Nacogdoches around 7:10pm and headed for the Zip Line course, ZipNac. The tour guides quickly suited us up and instructed on how to use the equipment safely and the proper procedures for a fun zip line. It was exciting to say the least.
LEAP Center Students Ready to Zip Line!
I won’t forget the adrenaline rush I felt on that first drop down or walking over a suspension bridge in the dark.
Megan Chapa on the Bridge
Or the fun time we were able to spend together, whether it was Sura Omar and Ariel Traub…
Sura Omar and Ariel Traub
…or Constance Gabel and Jessica Martinez….
Constance Gabel & Jessica Martinez
…or Jasmine Moss and Megan Chapa…
Jasmine Moss & Megan Chapa
…or the whole group….
…or whether it was Kaitlyn Tyra flying home in record time…
Kaitlyn Tyra’s Finale
…we all had a great time.
After zip lining we made our way to a local restaurant called Jalapeno tree, to enjoy a nice Mexican dinner. The appetizers consisted of chips, salsa and queso. My main course was chicken enchiladas, homemade rice and charro beans. The food was authentic and very delicious. At the restaurant we met with Gene Roberts, an attorney who is the Director of Student Legal Services at SHSU. He is in Nacogdoches to judge the Moot Scrimmage, and he will be helping us understand what to expect at the scrimmage, how the performances are judged, and tips for law school.
I am looking forward to another exciting day tomorrow watching the Moot Scrimmage and looking back at the wonderful memories made. It is moments like these that make me appreciate all that the LEAP center and Sam Houston State University do for us…
…After a short night of sleep, we were able to watch numerous Moot Court Scrimmages, which turned out to consist of a series of intriguing contests.
In all, we watched four contests. The morning contest was the most competitive. The students were highly skilled and very knowledgeable. The speakers displayed knowledge of the material, confidence, and spoke articulately about the legal matters they have been given to study. It could have been intimidating.
The second panel wasn’t as intimidating. The students struggled at times to articulate their ideas and occasionally seemed to struggle with the facts of the case. We learned later that we had seen the most and least prepared of the students, giving us a strong sense of the range of competition at these events.
A moot court competition is designed to mimic the appeals court process. Incidentally, the LEAP Center hosts four trials from the 10th Court of Appeals on campus every year, so many of us had seen that action. What we hadn’t seen was students try to replicate the work of appeals attorneys. Even the students who struggled helped us understand the process and, as always, we sympathized with those who have speak in public, a difficult task in almost any circumstance.
The afternoon groups fell within the range we had seen in the morning, and all of the teams taught us something about the law, the process of the moot court scrimmage, and ourselves. We are particularly grateful for Dr. Donald Gooch, the pre-law advisor at SFA, and Gene Roberts.
Following our observation, the general consensus was that we should form a Moot Court team at SHSU, and that many of us were game for the competition!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 