Tag: Pre-Law

Pre-Law Workshops at SHSU

On March 19th, the Pre-Law Society (PLS) convened for our second meeting of the Spring 2025 semester.

With a focus on several professional workshops, the officers quickly addressed general business, discussing finances, membership, and exciting upcoming events.

President Olivia Discon unveiled the formation of two new committees, the Communications Committee and the Social Planning Committee, giving members an engaging new way to be involved with the Pre-Law Society.

Afterwards, Professor Yawn, advisor to the Pre-Law Society, presented scholarships to select students: Timi Akindele, Lindsey Castro and Michelle Moya, based on their attendance in previous events.

He then urged the attending members to consider the importance of acting on the information they gain from the Pre-Law Society, highlighting the success of some graduating seniors to motivate the younger members of the organization.

Pre-Law Professionals Workshop

President Olivia Discon then gave a preliminary workshop on basic business etiquette, discussing appropriate business attire and email etiquette. 

We then broke off into groups, with members selecting which of the various workshops they wished to attend. These workshops are important because they provide students with valuable knowledge on professional attire, email etiquette, law school timelines, and the law school application process including key do’s and don’ts.

Law-School Timeline Workshop

Led by Pre-Law Advisor Jean Loveall, this workshop aimed to provide clarity to underclassmen about how to carry themselves during their undergraduate programs to best prepare for law school.

During their freshman and sophomore years, Ms. Loveall advised students to select their majors and minors and focus on building a strong academic record and cumulative GPA. Additionally, she advised underclassmen to join PLS, take a mock LSAT to gauge their strengths and weaknesses, begin to think about building their resumes and schedule an appointment with a pre-law advisor each semester.

 During the Fall of their Junior Years, Ms. Loveall advised students to begin developing criteria for their choice of law schools and begin to think about professors who might write them letters of recommendation. Here, Ms. Loveall stressed the importance of developing personal relationships with professors, as it leads to stronger letters of recommendation. Ms. Loveall also advised students to begin thinking about their personal statements and to create an LSAC account.

During the Spring semester of Junior year, students were advised to take a practice LSAT and figure out when they want to take their actual LSAT, drafting a study plan accordingly. Students were also told to narrow their law school search and to begin drafting the other components of their application (e.g. the personal statement and optional addenda) in accordance with the standards set by their chosen law schools. Furthermore, students were told to request their letters of recommendation and to request that their transcripts be sent to LSAC. Most importantly, students should continue to meet with their pre-law advisor.

During the Fall of their Senior years, students should register for and take the LSAT, finalize the components of their applications, fill out their FAFSA forms and apply to law school. From that point forward, students must wait for responses from law schools.

Applying to Law School Workshop

This workshop, led by seniors Christina Biello and Hunter Hagan, focused on the process of applying to law school, which the two seniors had diligently undergone during the prior semester.

To begin with, they taught attending members how to make an LSAC account, perhaps the most pivotal step on the journey to law school (As it’s literally impossible to apply without one). Afterwards they ran through a variety of the procedural aspects of applying to law school, such as how to ask for letters of recommendation and how to submit your transcripts to LSAC.

Chrissy and Hunter then discussed some tools available to students that make the process of applying to law school less daunting, such as LSAC forums and the LawHub platform. They also provided a copious amount of advice on topics such as the LSAT, Personal Statements and the benefits of applying for fee waivers during the application process.

Resume Building Workshop 

The Resume Building Workshop, led by Olivia Discon, focused on strategies for building a strong resume. Olivia outlined her five step approach to building a strong resume, after graciously sharing her first resume as a necessary example of what not to do when making a resume.

Olivia’s first step is to identify the resources available to you. She highlighted the Career Success Center as a resource available to students on campus, which provides them with templates on their resumes, as well as advice on how to improve them. The second step is knowing how to order your education and work experience. This step focused on understanding how to organize information on your resume, and recognizing what qualifies as relevant experience.

The third step is to know your strengths. Here, Olivia emphasized the difference between hard and soft skills, as well as knowing what skills are relevant for the job you are applying to.

The next is to become a stronger candidate. To do so, a student must utilize opportunities, list the honors they’ve achieved and any volunteer opportunities they may have been involved in. Olivia’s fifth step is to Advance Professionally, Intentionally. Olivia outlined what she refers to as the STAR test (situation, task action result) as a framework to bring purpose and clarity to each section of your resume.

Our next meeting is on April 16th; Stay tuned for our next blog!

The Pre-Law Society is Back–Beyond A Reasonable Doubt!

by Olivia Discon

After a quick recess for Winter Break, the Pre-Law Society (PLS) reconvened for our very first (official) meeting of the semester! With many important items to cover, including some general business, exciting upcoming events, and the election of our Secretary and Vice President of Marketing positions for this semester, our members were prepared to deliberate. And in great numbers, as well! Once more, the Pre-Law Society has broken its membership record with an astounding 116 members.

Dr. Chris Thompson, a Business Law Professor at Sam Houston State University and local attorney, joined us as our guest speaker for the evening.

Before jumping into the engaging discussion with Dr. Thompson, there were a few matters to cover. The group, very graciously, allowed me to go over these items and participated in a meeting in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. Dr. Thompson would later note that parliamentary procedure is a key element of the legal field, and through such participation, we are gaining valuable experience in our young professional careers.

We had quite a few members who ran for office in PLS. Niya Thompson…

Michelle Moya…

Ashlee Orizaba…

and Jacqueline Santos Romano ran for Vice President of Marketing.

On the other hand, Olivia McCaughan…

and Laila Alimi ran for the Secretary position.

Each of these students did an excellent job articulating their vision for the organization, and we would be proud to have any of them serve as leaders within PLS.

The votes were cast, but while we counted, Dr. Chris Thompson took the podium to have a Q&A session with the students about the legal field. Receiving his undergraduate degree at Stephen F Austin University and his J.D. at St. Mary’s University School of Law, he comes from a wealth of experience and expertise.

He shared that his story isn’t particularly “special”, not to diminish himself or his accomplishments, but rather to emphasize that it was possible for everyone in the room to attend law school. He went over the LSAT and the importance of discipline in studying, the rigor of law school classes, and how he entered the workforce as a young attorney.

What I particularly enjoyed was his reasoning for working in Walker County, both at the DA’s Office for 9 years, and currently, at a local law firm. Having lived in Huntsville and having family in the area, serving in a local capacity seemed natural. However, it was the idea of working to do “what is right” and doing so for the people in his community, that made that decision all the more admirable.

The Q&A concluded with one final question: “If you could go back and start your law school journey all over again, what would you change?” He replied: “To learn how to use commas and semicolons”–a lesson that the members would do well to take to heart.

At last, the verdict is in! Laila Alimi secured the position of Secretary! But our VP of Marketing position required a runoff between Niya Thompson and Michelle Moya. Niya ultimately won the vote to serve as our VP of Marketing for the semester.

Congratulations were in order, along with a photo of our new team. I look forward to working with them and seeing what all we will accomplish together this semester!

Stay tuned for our next meeting, which will be held on March 19, and it will include a series of hands-on workshops over various topics– all designed to help students grow professionally and progress toward their law-school dreams.

How to Get Into Law School — Featuring Texas Tech Law School

On November 7th, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Texas Tech Law School, Danielle Saavedra…

…and Prosecutor for Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Texas Tech Law School Alum Katey McCall…

…visited students at Sam Houston State University to discuss Texas Tech Law School and how students can prepare to apply to law school.

As the meeting began, Professor Yawn asked what the admissions board looks at when evaluating a students application.

Dean Saavedra stated that they look at a students Cumulative GPA, LSAT score, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and various other factors. She continued by giving advice on recommendation letters, telling us to ensure to ask a trusted professor. Further, that personal statements are very important and to keep them as detailed as possible. All of these elements will set one student a part from another.

Dean Saavedra and Ms. McCall then mentioned how essential it is to get applications submitted as early as possible to have the best chance at getting accepted. This is because, as time passes, schools will start tightening their standards; they want to ensure their ranking will remain high so they are less likely to take a chance on a student below the medians.

Dean Saavedra then transitioned to discussing Texas Tech Law School, noting how it is affordable and there are many unique opportunities to find what you love. This includes clinics, externships, and a mock trial program! Ms. McCall was involved in many, so she was able to give some personal insight.

Ms. McCall said that outside of these programs, there are many student organizations that students at TTU Law can join to connect with classmates. Moreover, that they allow one to grow in both knowledge and skills!

We would like to give a very special thank you to Dean Saavedra and Ms. McCall for sharing valuable information about TTU Law and the process of applying to law school. All who attended are extremely grateful and excited to apply to Texas Tech Law School!

A Social and Informational Kick-Off to the Fall Semester

by McKenna Nonnenmann

To start our fall 2024 semester with a sweet treat, the Pre-Law Society (PLS) held an ice cream social, sponsored in part by Student Legal and Mediation Services (SLMS) and the LEAP Center.

LEAP Ambassadors, current PLS Officers, and a few prospective PLS Officers (Lillie Bourgeois, Chrissy Biello, and Maggie Betancourt–thank you!) helped out, hosting an ice-cream social for all the opportunities and services offered by LEAP, SLMS, and PLS.

The ice cream social was an amazing way to meet people of all majors and classifications and it was exciting to see our returning members again after the long summer break.

Apart from the ice cream and the multitude of its toppings, we had a spin-the-wheel game featuring prizes made up of school supplies and for some extra lucky members, a Sam Houston State University mug!

Personally, I got a pencil case with some sticky notes, pencils, and a very nice highlighter. I can’t wait to use them! Others were similarly happy with their wins.

We also had a chance to meet some prospective new members, people we hope will get more involved with LEAP, PLS, or the University at large. In all, more than 100 people attended!

Following our ice cream social, we held an informational meeting to show our prospective members what to expect during our monthly meetings. The Pre-Law Society President, Olivia Discon discussed our future events such as the first official body meeting on September 11, LSAT seminars, the Mock LSAT, and guest speakers throughout the semester.

Since this is a new semester, we are once again holding elections for all positions. This year the President and the Vice President of Marketing are uncontested resulting in the automatic election of Olivia Discon and Cinthia Villarreal. This year running for Historian are Katherine Burnett…

…and Lillie Bourgeois;

…for Vice President of Treasury: Maggie Betancourt…

…and Christina Biello;

…for Secretary: Emily Alfaro has announced she is running for this position…

…as is Madison Cawthon;

…and for Vice President of Membership, McKenna Nonnenmann has announced her intention to run…

…as has Jacqueline Santos-Romano.

Although elections were not held at this meeting, all office runners were given a chance to speak about their qualifications for their respective positions.

Each candidate will be given a chance to speak again at our next meeting when the elections will be held. I look forward to seeing how each person grows into their role as a member and/or officer.

I’m excited to see what the Pre-Law Society has to hold this semester, and to all the future memories our members are going to make. This meeting was a great way to start the new Fall 2024 semester, and another addition to the book of memories.

PLS Meeting: Spring 2024 Kickoff

Pre-Law Society

McKenna Nonnenmann

Although the PLS has been involved in several informal events this spring, our first official meeting was February 21. And what a meeting! We had the honor of hosting two past Pre-Law Society presidents: Victoria McClendon, a first-year attorney; and Quinn Kobrin. a third-year law student at the University of New Hampshire. We also had the pleasure of having Blake Roach, an Associate Legislature Director at the Texas Farm Bureau, back on campus.

 Our meeting started off well, as we learned that we had 96 members, our highest-ever membership total!

The meeting continued on this note, as McClendon and Kobrin offered great advice on what law school is like. “It hits everyone like a brick wall,” noted Kobrin. Noting that undergraduate classes at SHSU are nothing like law school, McClendon and Kobrin suggested going out of our way to take challenging courses that teach us to think critically, read a lot, and to write.

Blake Roach also offered much-valued advice. He described his time as an advance-man for Greg Abbott, teaching him skills in preparation, event planning, research, flexibility, and networking.

All members of the panel encouraged students to push themselves, to get out of their comfort zones so that they can navigate more comfortably in the professional world. Going to professional events, taking on internships, working professional jobs, surrounding yourself with other professional students all work to make you more successful in the long run.

The meeting ended on a high note. After several years of fundraising–including work done by our past Presidents (including, of course, Victoria McClendon and Quinn Kobrin), we were able to donate $25,000 to SHSU to endow a scholarship. We closed the meeting with a “check presentation.”

Thanks to all our great panelists, and to all those who joined (or rejoined) PLS this semester. For future events or information, visit our Instagram @prelawshsu or email President Olivia Discon: ojd004@shsu.edu.

Our next meeting is March 20 at 6pm!

As a special note, we’d also like to thank all of our PLS Presidents who have helped us achieve this endowment: Megan Chapa (our first PLS President), Kaitlyn Tyra, Victoria McClendon, Quinn Kobrin, Heather Noman, Yvette Mendoza, Jade Miller, and Olivia Discon.