Pre-Law – Page 4 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Law Schools Ask: To ChatGPT or not to ChatGPT?

ChatGPT was released for public use on November 30, 2022. Because law firms are starting to use ChatGPT, some law schools, such as the University of Tulsa College of Law, are incorporating how to use ChatGPT ethically into their law school required legal research and writing courses.

There is no consensus among law schools, however, regarding the issue of allowing applicants to use ChatGPT in the law school admissions process, especially in the personal statement requirement. Dean Sue Ann McClellan, Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, explains that the Memphis law school now asks applicants to acknowledge that the personal statement is their own work product and that the applicant did not utilize AI/ChatGPT. The University of Michigan University Law School bans ChatGPT in law school applications. In contrast, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law allows law school applicants to use ChatGPT in their law school applications, including in their personal statements. Arizona State’s law school requires that law school applicants must disclose if they used AI tools, similar to the requirement to acknowledge if they used a professional consultant.

Interestingly, Troy Lowry, Senior Vice President of Technology Products at lsac.org, compared law school applicants’ personal statements with the proctored, timed LSAT writing samples written by the same students. Lowry found that “AI managed to predict correctly better than two-thirds of the time whether the author was the same or not and provided reasons to support its predictions.”

Therefore, what are the best practices for a law school applicant regarding the issue of using ChatGPT?

First, an applicant should always review and follow the policy regarding use of ChatGPT for each law school to which the student is applying. Secondly, and most importantly, understand that your personal statement, written by you as opposed to ChatGPT, will be more authentic because it is your unique story. Your personal statement will allow the law school admissions committee to understand, and remember, the real you.

Just imagine, if Taylor Swift chose ChatGPT to write her songs instead of writing her own songs, would Billboard Magazine be announcing that Taylor Swift now holds the all-time record for the most #1 hits on Billboard’s Pop Radio Chart?

Exploring Law School Options: Charleston

By Jessica Cuevas

On our final day in Charleston, we had a special treat in store: a tour of the Charleston School of Law. One of the advantages of SHSU as a “law-school feeder,” is that we have an active pre-law society, engage in many activities relevant to the law, and we have opportunities to visit and explore law schools.

Charleston School of Law

On this trip, we were set to visit the Charleston School of Law, a visit that included a meeting with the Director of Admissions, visiting with law-school students, and sitting in on a class.

So, while Ingrid and Morgan did various tours of Charles, Olivia, Michelle, and I met with Marisa Banke, who graciously organized our tour, and Michael Banks, Director of Admissions, on the second floor of the building. Mr. Banks covered all bases of our general questions, including an overview of Charleston’s School of Law, its application process, and what they look for in a personal statement and financial aid. We then met with a 2L student and a 3L student, the latter of whom is studying for her Bar exam, to show us around the school.

Although it is quite small, it consists of everything a Law School student might need: a library and plenty of study areas. The tour was unique in that it was Olivia and Michelle’s first law school visit, which allowed them to build a point of reference for potential schools they may be interested in including Charleston School of Law.

The Law School Journey

One important thing to know for pre-law students: most schools follow the same admissions processes. Almost all law schools are going to look at your LSAT score, GPA, personal statements, letters of recommendation, resume, as well as volunteer service and organizations. Of these factors, LSAT and GPA are, by far, the most important.

Different law schools do have somewhat different clinics, programs, or specialties. And law schools have different cultures. A visit allows you to experience those factors that do differ and help to see if you “fit in,” while also experiencing the city in which you might be living.

As a senior, I have visited and toured three law schools: Belmont College of Law, Chicago Kent College of Law, and Charleston School of Law. In fact, with the Chicago Kent College of Law, I was able to do their PLUS program and really learn a lot about the process.

If you are interested in law school at SHSU, I recommend you meet with either Professor Mike Yawn or Ms. Jean Loveall, enroll in the Pre-Law Society, and take the Mock LSAT as early as possible. Once those things are done, you will have the opportunity to hear more from law school representatives through the Pre-Law Society and, we hope, visit your own preferred law schools!

Pre-Law Activities and Mock LSATs at SHSU

On Saturday, April 1, a beautiful spring day, the LEAP Center continued with a packed schedule of both community and academic events. While LEAP Center Ambassadors and volunteers assisted in the annual Wynne Home community Easter Egg Hunt, 17 Pre-Law Society students showed up at 9:30 am on Saturday to take a Mock LSAT, the Law School Admission Test.

Students applying to law school will take the actual LSAT in a fall semester, a year before they plan to start law school. Students who are freshmen through seniors are encouraged to take the Mock LSAT.

A Mock LSAT score provides helpful information to aspiring pre-law students early in a student’s academic career. First, a baseline Mock LSAT score allows students to see how close they are to their goal LSAT score. Then, students can work with a pre-law advisor at the LEAP Center to develop a study plan to prepare for the LSAT, an important first step in their journey to law school. Second, students experience taking an actual LSAT under LSAT timing conditions.

In addition to administering the Mock LSAT twice a year, the LEAP Center offers pre-law advising and various pre-law activities, such as the provision of a Mock law school taught by a law professor from Houston’s South Texas College of Law. These pre-law activities contribute to Sam Houston State University’s continued ranking in the top 200 nationally as a top law-school feeder among almost 3,000 four-year universities and colleges in the United States.

How to Get Into Law School–A Texas Tech Case Study!

McKenna Nonnenmann, October 29, 2022

This past week at the Pre-Law Society meeting, we welcomed Ms. Shawn Adams, the director for recruitment at Texas Tech School of Law.

Ms. Adams graduated from Texas Tech with a Master’s in Business Administration and a JD! We learned a lot from her educational background and experience as a practicing attorney.

On this evening, her goal was not only to recruit students to Texas Tech School of Law, but also to give us loads of advice regarding the law school application process and what to look for in law schools. She started by looking for three main things when choosing a law school.

Looking at what the cost of living will be at the school apart from tuition
Bar passage rate
Post-graduate employment rate

All three items can be located on the law school’s 509 reports!

Ms. Adams covered what is needed in a law school application: transcript, letter of recommendation, personal statement, LSAT score, and resume–and how those are weighted at Texas Tech.

We also learned more about what Texas Tech school of law offers and how beautiful and engaging their campus life is! In addition, they offer many great resources for students interested in criminal defense and even have a dual degree program.

As the meeting ended, Ms. Adams stressed that it is essential to go at our own pace, and it is okay if we do not make straight A’s in law school because of how rigorous it is. And she encouraged us, noting that if we continue to work hard and have our hearts in the studying, we can go far.

Many thanks to Ms. Shawn Adams for her continual support of the LEAP Center and Pre-Law Society at Sam Houston State University.

Appeals on Wheels–SHSU Version

Saara Maknojia

On April 13th the LEAP Center hosted the 10th Court of Appeals, which came in from Waco to hear cases on SHSU’s campus. Like all Appeals courts, the 10th COA holds hearings that review the legal process of lower courts, assessing whether an actionable error occurred. Currently, the three Justices serving on the 10th Court of Appeals are Chief Justice Tom Gray, Justice Matt Johnson, and Justice Steven Smith. The Court heard three cases throughout the day, one at 10 am, 11 am, and another at 1:30 pm.

The LEAP Ambassadors gathered the large crowd outside of the Kerper Courtroom in the College of Criminal Justice building. Heather and Jessica handed Courtroom Etiquette Rules and case facts to students and other attendees of the 10th Court of Appeals session.

With 3 cases to hear, the court began around 10:00 a.m. with its first case! The turnout for the first case happened to be one of the largest crowds in recent years, with more than 100 students, faculty, and other audience members. The proceedings begin as all rise, and the Justices enter the room.

As always, Chief Justice Gray introduces elected officials in the crowd, including County Judge Pierce, Judge David Moorman, County Court at Law Judge Tracy Sorensen, and District Clerk elect Leslie Woolley. He also introduced the LEAP Ambassadors.

The first case involved a personal injury claim. The plaintiff sued Cowboy Up (a furniture shop) after her fall from the stairs of the shop which resulted in multiple injuries.

One of the features of this program is that the Justices allow the attorneys to turn to the audience and describe the facts of the case, which helps the lay audience follow along, somewhat, with the legalities.

Students, in particular, enjoyed the hearing of the first case and were left with many thoughts, reflections, and imponderables.

Once the first case wrapped up around 11 a.m., the judges remained in their places while the new audience found their seats. As the crowd settled down the hearing of the second case began.

Lasting about 60-70 minutes, the second case concerned the mask mandate enforced by Governor Greg Abbott. The legalities associated with this case were the most complex, and not all of the audience (including me!) followed along fully.

Nonetheless, the seriousness and importance of this case informed the audience of the role of the governor vis-a-vis local officials, while also highlighting the importance of jurisdictional issues.

After the conclusion of the second case, the three judges, elected officials, and the LEAP Ambassadors made their way to the Friel’s conference room for a brief lunch before the third case hearing and question sessions began.

During this time the LEAP Ambassadors spoke with Justice Gray, Justice Johnson and Justice Smith, Judge Sorensen, staff attorneys Rick Bradly and Jill Durbin, Court Clerk Nita Whitener, and District Clerk elect Leslie Woolley.

Discussions held at lunch ranged from the future career goals of the LEAP Ambassadors to the positions held by each judge present in the room, to conversations about which law schools are the best and of course the tasty cookies Linda McKenzie sent for our lunch since she could not attend.

Wrapping up our conversations and lunch, the LEAP Ambassadors and Judges made their way back into the courtroom for the last hearing of the day.

In the third case, the appellant, Michael Todd Austin was represented by Carmen Roe and Brian Wice for his conviction of sexual assault.

This case was very well delivered, easy to understand, and kept brief as both appellant and appellee argued the facts of the case.

As the last case came to an end, Chief Justice Gray opened the floor to the audience members, who had many questions for the attorneys regarding their jobs and roles. One student asked, “How do refrain from emotional attachment in cases such as the one presented today?” while others asked about the duration of cases and the complexity of courtroom procedures. Justice Gray, Carmen Roe, and Brian Wice, along with the prosecution attorney Doug Howell…

…answered each question with extensive knowledge for the students!

After the question session, the LEAP Ambassadors made their way down to greet the judges and have informal conversations and take pictures!

It was an honor hosting the 10th Court of Appeals for another year. We are very thankful to Chief Justice Gray, Justice Johnson, and Justice Smith for coming to Sam Houston and making it a memorable experience for students and faculty!

“How to get into Law School,” with UT Law

For our first official meeting of the semester, we welcomed all the new and returning members, it was a very informational, yet fun meeting. Heather Barodi, President of the PLS made an introduction by voting on the new officers to be approved as well as the update of the signature card. She introduced the new officers, discussed orglink, upcoming meetings and upcoming activities like the Kat Safety Bash, Old Town Theatre Cleanup/Pizza Party/ showing of “My Cousin Vinny” and the Scare on the Square.

Next, she introduced our guest speaker for the evening, Dave Farnum, the Assistant Director of Recruitment at the University of Texas Law. Farnum is from Rhode Island and moved here for his career at UT. He is immensely proud of his school and even more proud to be a Longhorn. He visited our organization to give us insight on how to get into UT’s prestigious law school, and for the most part, how to get into any law school. It was definitely worth listening to.

After he described the school as the “Top Law School in Texas,” he went on to discuss employment after attending the school. Seventy-five percent of students that graduate from the law program choose to work in Texas after they complete school. Twenty-five percent of students that graduate leave Texas , usually going to New York, Washington D.C or California.

Some unique facts he shared about UT:

Bar Passage Rates in Texas were at 91%, while the state average is only about 75%.

There is a 10:1 professor to student ratio, with 201 courses offered, suggesting they have plenty of options for students . They have an alumni-mentor program that is hand-selected to match uniquely to the student.

Lastly, UT Law offers many experiential learning opportunities. Examples of this included working with immigrants, indigent suspects, and assistance with the Innocent Project.

Some quick facts are that his year’s class had a median score of 169 on the LSAT, a median GPA of 3.80, and more women than men (for the first time ever!).

Next, he discussed the key factors in the admission process: the LSAT, GPA, personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation.

Consistent with a philosophy that emphasizes admitting “humans, not robots,” UT tries to delve deep into the applicants’ backgrounds. Indeed, they will accept up to a three-page resume, and Farnum encouraged us to “make use of that space.” Farnum further recommended to freshmen and sophomores to (1) get GPAs as high as possible, (2) make connections with professors, (3) and to stay out of trouble.

For juniors and seniors who may not be ready to apply, Farnum noted that it’s okay to take a gap year, although he did encourage students to ensure that gap year is productive.

During the Q & A, Jade asked whether it was better to get her supervisor at her law firm or a professor to write a letter of recommendation. Farnum suggested that the person who knows the student best would write the best letter, but that the student should submit a letter from at least one professor.

Mr. Farnum concluded with offering the students some swag from UT Law–items that proved very popular!

We are incredibly grateful that he came out to give us this very useful knowledge of all the things to expect when applying to law school.

Pre-Law Society First Meeting

By: Kiarra Flores

First Meeting

Despite the pandemic, we were able to kick off our first Pre-Law Society meeting of the Fall 2020 semester. Our advisor, Mike Yawn introduced the PLS to all the new members and explained our agenda for the evening. For the first meeting, we had the great honor to have a Zoom meeting with two special women, Alicia Cramer and Shawn Adams, to discuss law school and answer any questions we may have in regard to admissions.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Pre-Law Society, PLS, Kattorneys, South Texas College of Law, STCL, TTU Law, Texas Tech Law

To begin, we first had Shawn Adams speak. She is not only an attorney, but she is also the Assistant Director for Recruitment at Texas Tech Law. She discussed how Texas Tech has a ‘dual degree program’ where a student can finish their first year of school, then start their Masters. They can complete law school in three years, receiving both Juris Doctor (JD) and an MBA. She also mentions how you can be a “student attorney” where you can work under a licensed attorney and have clients and go to court, which I felt like caught a lot of members’ attention!

Dean Alicia Cramer was next. Cramer is the Assistant Dean of Admissions and South Texas College of Law. To showcase the school, she mentioned how they were recently nationally ranked for their Moot Court and Mock Trial teams. As an assistant dean, she emphasized the importance of being involved in different programs and clinics the school offers. She also encouraged students to begin building relationships with people who may write letter of recommendations.

Following the presentations, the guest speakers took questions.

Two questions that stuck out to me were:

Q: Do I need to apply separately for scholarships, or will I receive automatic consideration through the admissions process?

A: You can do both. Depending on your situation, you can apply for financial aid, but also you can earn money depending on your GPA and LSAT scores, so study!

Q: I was another major for two years and it tanked my GPA. Even with the A’s and B’s I have been making in my Pre-Law major, my GPA hasn’t touched a 3.0 yet, does that ruin my chance to be accepted?

A: No, if your GPA isn’t the best and your LSAT scores are subpar, your personal statement will really dictate your acceptance or not. You want a great personal statement that not only describes you as a person but also explains why your grades were not the best. You need to stick out during the admissions process and show the board why you deserve to attend their law school.

After the Q&A portion of our meeting, we applauded and thanked them for their time and insight on the navigation of law admissions. To end our meeting was officer elections. The group had eight members running for positions of VP of Finances, VP of Membership, Secretary and Historian. With time running short, members’ speeches were short and to the point. For President, we have appointed Quinn Kobrin (senior), VP of Finances, Leslie Canchola-Rangel (junior);

VP Membership, Ruona Odharo;

Secretary, Aisha Adeniyi-Adeoya (junior);

and Historian, Kiarra Flores (senior).

The Dos and Don’ts of Your Law School Application: PLS in October

Photos and text by Heather Barodi

Our second meeting of the semester went on without skipping a beat. There were very few minor things to take care of before we got right down to business with our guest panel, which included three law school deans or recruiters.

We started our meeting with some housekeeping, which included an acknowledgement and congratulations for our most members (yet) and ended with a discussion on our upcoming volunteer event, Scare on the Square.

Afterwards, we were introduced to our admissions panel. We had Megan Henson (Associate Director of Admissions at University of Tulsa), Shawn Adams (Assistant Director for Recruitment at Texas Tech Law), and Jens Sandberg (Admissions Recruiter at South Texas College of Law).