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MAPLA Briefs
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MIDWEST ASSOCIATION OF PRE-LAW ADVISORS
www.mapla.org
Summer 2008
From the Desk of the President
Pamela Allen, Denison University
Greetings MAPLA
Members!
As you prepare for the
upcoming academic
school year I invite you
to become renewed, invigorated, and
inspired in your law school advising and
admissions endeavors. One suggestion is
to register for the 5th Pre-Law Advisors
National Council Conference: Advising
the Millennials: High Tech, High
Touch. Our national conference is held
once every four years and you are highly
encouraged to attend and to invite your
colleagues to register as well! Listed
below are a few highlights and reminders
of the conference.
Benefits:
• Gain strategies to use in advising
the Millennial Generation and their
parents
• Receive trends data and updates
from the Law School Admissions
Council
• Network and gather information
from 130 law schools at the Law
School Fair
• Chose from over 60 workshops and
panels to attend on topics such as
Mock Admission, Financial Aid,
Writing Personal Statements,
Working with Special Populations,
and sessions specifically for new as
well as for experienced Pre-Law
Advisors!
Registration & Conference
Information:
• Dates: Wednesday, October 15
– Saturday, October 18, 2008
• Registration: visit www.planc.org
and select “register online now”
• Conference registration must be
done by September 22, 2008 in
order to secure the early bird rate
• Location: South Point Hotel
Casino & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Hotel reservations must be done by
September 14, 2008 in order to
secure PLANC conference rate
continued on page 2
Membership News
Denise Gabrelski, University of Cincinnati
I am pleased to share that
MAPLA had 116
registered members for
2007-2008. Thirty-nine
law school representatives
joined us from 21 states
spanning from California to Virginia. Our
77 pre-law advisors represent colleges
and universities from Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota,
Wisconsin, and even Louisiana.
If you feel that participating in MAPLA
has been beneficial to you, please pass on
this copy of MAPLA Briefs to a colleague
at your or another institution. We
welcome members from all states,
territories, and Canada.
in Las Vegas, PLANC will be handling
your 2008-2009 MAPLA membership if
you plan to attend the PLANC
conference. If you do not plan to attend
the conference, please initiate your
2008-2009 MAPLA membership using
the form found online at www.mapla.org.
REMINDER: The MAPLA membership
cycle typically restarts in the summer
with fall conference registration. Because
this year’s MAPLA conference will be
folded into PLANC’s October conference
If you have any questions about
membership, please feel free to contact
me at Denise.Gabrelski@uc.edu or (513)
556-2852. Best wishes as you begin a
new school year!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
From the Editors………………...
News from Law School Front…..
Board of Directors……………….
UMKC Law Q&A……….…….....
2
2
2
3
Pre-Law Student Orgs…………..
MAPLA Caravan……..…..……...
Things to Do in Vegas…………..
MAPLA Elections…..…………...
4
6
7
8
Page 2
MAPLA Briefs: Summer 2008
From the Desk of the President
with all of you, and the wonderful board members, in my role as
President of MAPLA.
from page 1
In conference years, each APLA holds its business meeting
during the conference — MAPLA will hold its business meeting
and elections on Saturday, October 18. At that time I will pass
the gavel to Mac Francis, Indiana University-Bloomington, who
will serve as MAPLA’s next President. Mac will do a great job
and I look forward to supporting him and MAPLA and ensuring
a smooth transition of leadership. I have truly enjoyed working
If you have any questions about the conference, please contact
me at (740) 587-6521 or by email at allenp@denison.edu. As
one of the Conference Co-Chairs, I am especially excited about
this event and I hope to see many MAPLA members in October
in Las Vegas!
News from the Law School Front
Janet L. Hein, Assistant Dean, Director of Admissions
& Financial Aid, University of Dayton School of Law
Greetings from Dayton – we have just a few weeks before the law student masses return. Congrats to you if you were able to
squeeze in that vacation — I am trying to for a few days, at least! We are all breathlessly awaiting our entering classes – hoping we
come in on target. Also this time of year, we are firming up our recruiting schedules, trying to decide on which campuses to visit
(hopefully yours!), and planning our entire season of activity.
Since I was not at the LSAC Annual Meeting, I do not have any details from a personal standpoint. However, the sessions included
new communication and marketing tools, applicant character and fitness issues, the student loan industry, and post-Grutter
enrollment management practices. I heard from my colleagues that it was a very good meeting. I hope to attend next year!
Law schools, on the whole, are slightly up in applications (as of 7/4, 105 are up, 83 are down and 7 show no change). Most of my
colleagues are keeping their entering class sizes the same (at least the ones I have talked to). My school is a bit oversubscribed right
now, so we will not be visiting our wait list before classes start, unless something drastic occurs.
2008 MAPLA Board of Directors
Editors’ Box
Adekemi Faleti-Dosunmu
RJ Holmes
University of Illinois at Chicago
Cornell College
afaleti@uic.edu
rholmes@cornellcollege.edu
Welcome to the summer
edition of MAPLA Briefs! We
hope you have had a pleasant
summer and were able to get
some reprieve from the usual
day-to-day activities of helping students prepare for law school.
As you begin the start of another year, please think about issues
or concerns that you are experiencing on campus that ought to be
addressed in a future edition of the newsletter. We always
welcome ideas for stories and want to make sure MAPLA Briefs
is not only informative, but a great resource for your
professional development as a pre-law advisor. Please send
article ideas to either one of us via email: afaleti@uic.edu or
rholmes@cornellcollege.edu. Hope to see you in Las Vegas!
Pamela Allen, President
Denison University
Mac Francis, President-Elect/Caravan
Indiana University-Bloomington
Lane Sunderland, Treasurer
Knox College
Gwyn Wallender, Secretary
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Janet Hein, MALSA Representative
University of Dayton School of Law
Kemi Faleti-Dosunmu, At-Large/MAPLA Briefs
University of Illinois at Chicago
Denise Gabrelski, At-Large/Membership
University of Cincinnati
RJ Holmes, At-Large/MAPLA Briefs
Cornell College
John Little, At-Large/Web Liaison
University of Iowa
Steve Shafer, At-Large
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MAPLA Briefs: Summer 2008
Law School Q&A: University of
Page 3
Missouri-Kansas City
Debbie Brooks, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Multicultural Affairs, www.umkc.edu/law
LAW SCHOOL MISSION:
The UMKC School of Law is dedicated to educating students to become outstanding lawyers who will serve their
communities and the nation in the highest traditions of the legal profession, and is committed to producing significant
scholarship that will enrich legal discourse among those who study and practice law.
Q: If you could describe your law school in a few words or a sentence what would you say?
UMKC School of Law provides academic and professional training to students seeking careers in law. We are committed to providing a
high quality legal education in a professional and supportive environment, concentrating always on the foundations of good lawyering:
respect for people, respect for knowledge and ideas, and respect for justice.
Our faculty are outstanding scholars who have extensive practice experience. Faculty at UMKC are actively engaged with students both
inside and outside the classroom. Our classes are relatively small (by law school standards) and many of our substantive courses incorporate
simulations and service learning opportunities. Our faculty and students are collegial and the school provides many opportunities for
interaction and development of close personal relationships that will last throughout ones' career.
We teach students to become lawyers in the best tradition of the profession, introducing them to the opportunities and obligations of the
legal profession and its role in the greater community. We appreciate the work of lawyers and their many contributions. which include
educating people and institutions about their rights, helping to design prosperous business and community ventures, and working towards
the effective and efficient resolution of disputes. We maintain a faculty devoted both to professional service and to advancing knowledge
through the production of excellent academic scholarship.
As a Law School, we build on a strong tradition of advocacy, civic engagement, and academic excellence. Our program has not only
produced some of the region's best lawyers and judges, but has also trained a U.S. Supreme Court Justice (Charles Whittaker) and an
American President (Harry Truman). We embrace and foster a collegial, collaborative model of professional education and maintain an
intellectual and cultural environment that fosters broad thinking, local and global awareness, and creative problem solving.
Q: What does UMKC look for in choosing candidates for your incoming 1L class?
UMKC uses a holistic approach in making admission decisions. We look for students who will add to both the law school and the
larger legal communities. We take into account factors consistent with the university's values of diversity, inclusiveness and
respect. These factors include but are not limited to outstanding leadership qualities, all forms of diversity, triumphs over challenges and
barriers based on societal discrimination or economic disadvantage and a serious and sustained commitment to significant public or
community service.
Q: UMKC uses the tag "urban pubilc law school with a small liberal arts feel" — what does this mean?
Although we are housed in an urban environment, we are a small community of learners in which faculty, staff and students interact in a
friendly and professional manner. We know our students by name.
Q: UMKC has a unique mentoring program that all 1L students participate in called the Inns of UMKC; can you tell us about it?
The UMKC Inns were established to introduce new law students to the profession and to professionalism. With the assistance of judges,
faculty and practicing attorneys, we know our graduates will be prepared to become outstanding, active members of the Bar. Experience
tells us that students will benefit from consultation with faculty members, members of the judiciary and practicing attorneys about such
matters as the meaning of professionalism in the practice of law, exploring career possibilities, selecting courses and coping with the
stresses of law school.
Q: What do UMKC Students say about the school?
Here are three quotes from our students: "I was surprised at how much encouragement and resources the school, including the
faculty, offered along with the large number of social events. I never imagined I could make so many great friends in such a small amount
of time or consider a place home after only living here for three-four months." "The students and faculty here at UMKC are a prime
example of how people treat each other in Kansas City...mid-western hospitality." "Even though the classes are important, it's the people
that make UMKC Law School worthwhile."
Q: What is one piece of advice that you would have pre-law advisors share with their students?
That pre-law advisors encourage students to take challenging courses and courses that will positively impact their reading and
writing skills.
≈≈≈≈
Interview coordinated by Adekemi Faleti-Dosunmu, University of Illinois at Chicago
Page 4
MAPLA Briefs: Summer 2008
Inheriting and Transforming an Inactive or Ineffective Pre-Law
Student Organization on Your Campus
For many Pre-Law Advisors, there is an extra duty that automatically comes along with their position – being Faculty Advisor to a
Pre-Law student organization. Naturally, if a group is affiliated with our name, most of us are going to want to be sure that that
group is competent and well-run. For some advisors this can require only minimum work on their part, as they may already have an
effective organization on their campus. For other advisors, however, this may require a bit more work. In some cases advisors may
be dealing with inactive or less than active groups on their campus, to say nothing of those advisors who are met with the charge of
starting a Pre-Law student organization on their campus from scratch.
While each campus will not be exactly the same and will have its own nuances, at the core, there will always be general advice that
will be helpful for people who are facing this task for the first time. To address this challenge, we have the experiences of two
MAPLA members who were able to successfully transform the organizations on their campus. One article is from an advisor who
was responsible for turning around a lackadaisical PLS on her campus, and the other is from an advisor who was responsible for
breathing new life into her campus’ Pre-Law chapter of Phi Alpha Delta law Fraternity. Hopefully these will be useful guides for
those of you facing similar challenges. ~Adekemi Faleti-Dosunmu, Editor
Kimberly Snow, Marquette University
Yvette R. Simpson, Esq., Miami University – Ohio
*** Circa 1997- frantic phone call to me from the then Pre-Law
Society president ***
As a pre-law advisor, you may be given the privilege (or burden,
depending on your perspective), of advising your university’s
pre-law student organization. Regardless of your perspective,
advising a pre-law student organization is a responsibility that
you should not shirk or take lightly. In addition to the
wonderful opportunities it can provide to your students, a
successful pre-law student organization can assist you in your
role as pre-law advisor. I had the pleasure of advising our
pre-law student organization during my first year, and while it
required a substantial amount of time and effort, it ultimately
made my job much easier.
“Not only did our scheduled speaker for tonight’s meeting
cancel this morning, but our room reservation changed due to a
class conflict. So, even if we find another speaker at the last
minute, somebody has to tape up a sign at the original meeting
location announcing the new location. Oh, and Joe can’t pick up
the snacks… can someone else do that? How much money do
we have anyways?”
In the old days, the above situation would have likely resulted in
some students showing up for a cancelled meeting at the wrong
location, with no speaker and no promised snacks! Due to some
tightening efforts by me and successive officers, a situation like
this happening today would be resolved much faster and more
cooperatively. When I began my position as Pre-Law Advisor
at Marquette twelve years ago, I inherited the role of advisor for
the PLS. Our Society had existed for years prior, but things
were disorganized and leadership was inconsistent.
As is likely the case for most pre-law advisors, 75% of my job
involves individual advising. There are universal topics such as
LSAT content and preparation, the general application process,
law practice specialties, etc. which, as group presentations, can
benefit the many. I view PLS activities as the perfect
complement to one-on-one advising. For this reason, my goal
back when I started was to develop some kind of framework to
present these topics, ensure continuity from year to year, and do
so efficiently.
That framework consists of three parts, a pyramid of sorts:
format and facilitation at the base, and communication at the
top.
Format. Consider the academic year - September through May.
A monthly meeting makes the most sense, at least for us. First
continued on page 5
Advantages of Pre-Law
“Regardless of your
Student Organizations
Pre-law student organizations
perspective, advising a
provide a wide range of
pre-law student
benefits to their members.
organization is a
Because pre-law students
responsibility that you
major in different disciplines,
should
not shirk or take
an active pre-law student
organization can help bring
lightly.”
students together who
otherwise would not have the opportunity to get to know each
other. Additionally the organization, through its programming,
can provide students with the opportunity to network with
attorneys, participate in community service activities, and
support one another during the law school admissions process.
Furthermore, a strong pre-law student organization can assist
you in fulfilling your duties as a pre-law advisor. During
membership meetings, I took time to address student questions
and concerns and advertised any programs that were sponsored
by my office. I also conducted a few workshops for the
membership before offering them to the entire university. For
example, I was interested in conducting a “Time Management
for Pre-Professionals” workshop on campus. I presented the
workshop during a membership meeting to gauge whether
continued on page 7
MAPLA Briefs: Summer 2008
Page 5
Pre-Law Student Organizations
Snow, from page 4
semester meetings take place in September, October and
November. No meetings in December and January because of
finals and semester break. Resume meetings in February, March
and April, totaling six meetings per academic year. Secure a
regular meeting time each year, for example the third Tuesday
of each month, always at 7:00pm. This makes it easy for an
officer to reserve the same room for the semester’s three
meetings in advance, and once done, we can send out a “mark
your calendar” e-mail. Marquette’s PLS meetings are informal
and open to anyone interested in law school. We charge $5.00
dues per semester which covers snacks/pizza and unforeseen
expenses. Four officers are elected each spring for the upcoming year via an e-mail election. Candidates write a very brief
“campaign speech” with a brief bio and their ideas for the PLS.
The top four vote-getters are elected and they themselves decide
the positions. Interestingly, since we’ve adopted this format,
many officers run for re-election and win. These “second term”
officers seem to value taking their leadership role to a higher
level, and I value having returning officers who know what
they’re doing.
Facilitation. The officers and I meet at the beginning of each
semester and agree on topics and speakers for the semester. I
am present at every monthly meeting, sit with the students and
the officers run the show. The four officers inform me ahead of
time if they cannot attend. Meetings begin with announcements:
upcoming free practice LSAT on campus, law school rep. visit,
etc. Meetings run 60-75 minutes. We strictly adhere to this so
that students know what to expect and can schedule the rest of
their evening around it. I have each officer’s cell phone number
and they have mine. All dues are deposited into an off-campus
bank account which I manage.
Communication. In the old days, the PLS meetings were often
planned just a week or two in advance, and too often, “slapped
together.” This was the era of no e-mail or listservs, so
advertising the meetings meant chalking sidewalks (still an
effective means of publicity!) and an officer hand-writing some
makeshift poster at the last minute which could be copied
quickly and tacked up all over campus, only after getting the
required stamp of approval from the university as a legitimate
student organization activity. I don’t have to tell any of you
how computers and e-mail changed the world. As offices traded
typewriters for monitors and keyboards, communication now
moves at warp speed. Despite my technological incompetence, I
somehow (okay, with the help of our campus I.T. department)
managed to implement a pre-law listserv. As mentioned above,
we can send a “mark your calendar” e-mail with the semester’s
PLS meeting dates. A second e-mail goes out 10-14 days before
the meeting with specifics on the topic and guest speaker(s).
One last reminder e-mail is sent the day or two before the
meeting. I cannot imagine our PLS functioning now without a
listserv. Needless to say, e-mail has greatly simplified and
streamlined communication; not just to students, but between
officers and myself as well. It is no surprise that the direct result
of our new and improved communication is increased
attendance. We have probably tripled the number of attendees
in the last few years.
A tip to those of you who have not yet implemented a pre-law
listserv, but would like to: make sure your I.T. people program
it to automatically delete students who have graduated. Last I
heard, this was in the works for us, but until then, annoyed
graduates’ requests to be removed from the listserv will
continue!
For more than a decade, it has been, and continues to be,
fulfilling for me to be part of the team effort in developing our
PLS. We will always have snags, challenges and last-minute
decisions. Even the tightest-run ship must remain adaptable to
change. If we could only figure out who can pick up the snacks.
≈≈≈≈
Kimberly Snow is the Pre-Law Advisor at Marquette University
in Wisconsin, for more information please email her directly at
kimberly.snow@marquette.edu.
MAPLA Caravan 2008
The MAPLA Caravan brings law school admissions representatives to Midwestern colleges and universities each fall. For
undergraduates unable to attend the Law School Forum in Chicago, this is, for the most, the only opportunity to meet admissions
representatives in person. Caravan attendance is open to students from all campuses, so advisors from nearby schools are
encouraged to pass along the information to their student organizations or even organize groups of student to attend.
•
•
•
•
Monday, October 6: Indiana University, Bloomington, contact Mac Francis (rgfranci@indiana.edu)
Tuesday, October 7: Washington University in St. Louis, contact Mac Francis (rgranci@indiana.edu)
Wednesday, October 8: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, contact Steve Shafer (scs@uiuc.edu)
Thursday, October 9: University of Wisconsin, Madison, contact Consuelo Lopez-Springfield (cspringf@wisc.edu)
The 2008 MAPLA Caravan registration form is available online at www.mapla.org. For more information, please contact
Mac Francis via email at rgranci@indiana.edu.
Page 6
MAPLA Briefs: Summer 2008
Things to Do in Vegas
Compiled by Kemi Faleti-Dosunmu, University of Illinois at Chicago
As we prepare for our upcoming conference it gets difficult to think about PLANC’s location and not think
about what we might want to do in our free time. Our schedule gives us Wednesday and Thursday evenings
free and Saturday afternoon and evening depending on when you plan to leave. This list is not definitive by
any means, but just highlights by category of some of the many things there are to do in Las Vegas.
Let’s start with the obvious attraction that Vegas is known for – casinos! While there are casinos in virtually every hotel
on and off The Strip (including ours) – if you want to see the best of the best, take a trip to visit one of the famed casinos
on The Strip. If you are interested in experiencing truly upscale gambling, try The Bellagio or The Venetian, if you want
to visit what is probably the largest casino in the world try The MGM Grand, and if you are looking for something
visually and architecturally amazing try Paris Hotel & Casino.
Second only to the casinos, as Las Vegas’ biggest attraction, would have to be the nightlife. What would a trip to Vegas
be without catching a show? During our visit you can choose to see legendary performers like Bette Middler, popular
comedians like Wayne Brady, performance groups like Blue Man or any of the 16 Cirque du Soleil troops, or you can go
see any one of the numerous theatrical shows such as Mamma Mia! Of course those all require tickets, but if you’re
looking for something free, many of the famed hotels have daily shows that are complimentary and open to the public.
There is a Fountain Show nightly at the Bellagio (http://www.bellagio.com/amenities/fountains-of-bellagio.aspx), there is the daily “Fall of
Atlantis” show at Caesars Palace (http://www.vegas.com/attractions/on_the_strip/fountainshow.html), Treasure Island (http://
www.treasureisland.com/pages/ent_sirens.asp) has a Pirate show that takes place every night, and by October, it is expected that the volcano
show at The mirage (http://www.mirage.com/attractions/attractions_volcano.aspx) should be running again.
For those of you who may be looking for something with more of an educational value or something family friendly,
there are many options for that as well. If you are interested in seeing the Grand Canyon or The Hoover Dam there are
quick tours that can take you there by air or by land. Never been to Italy? Why not simulate an evening in Venice by
taking a gondola ride at The Venetian (http://www.venetian.com/Pages.aspx?id=324). If you’re looking to “see”
famous people, visit the World Famous Madame Tussads to “mingle” with a who’s who of historical and pop culture icons. Those traveling
with younger children may also want to consider a visit to Botanical Park (http://www.lasvegaszoo.com/visitorinfo.htm), M&M’s World
(http://www.mymms.com/service/locations.asp), or Adventuredome Theme Park (http://adventuredome.com/
general_information.aspx#hours).
For those of us for whom a trip would not be complete without a bit of shopping, in Vegas you can find something for
every budget. Those looking for elite high-end shopping should visit Via Bellagio (at The Bellagio Hotel) or The
Shoppes at The Palazzo (at The Palazzo Hotel). For those looking for a more typical American mall mix, try the
Fashion Show Mall (across the street from the Wynn Las Vegas) or The Forum Shops at Caesars (at Caesars Palace
Hotel). Of course there is premium outlet shopping as well; right off The Strip there is the Las Vegas Outlet Center
(http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/directions.asp?id=61) and a little further off The Strip you will find Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas
(http://www.fashionoutletlasvegas.com/directions.htm#directions).
Finally, whenever you take a trip out of town, there is always the question of where to eat. Las Vegas has a wide array
of dining options to satisfy any palate. There are the high-end 5 Diamond Award restaurants where you can expect to
pay a minimum of $100 per person for the meal. Those include: Alex at The Wynn, Le Cirque and Picasso at The
Bellagio, and Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand. If you’ve wanted to try a restaurant by a celebrity chef, this would be
the place to do so. Wolfgang Puck has six restaurants in Vegas, including a spin-off of his most famous restaurant –
Spagos (http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/index.php). Michael Mina has four, including his signature namesake restaurant
(http://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants.html). Emeril has three restaurants which includes customer favorite – Delmonico Steakhouse
(http://www.emerils.com/restaurants/); and Bobby Flay has a spin-off of his popular Mesa Grill there (http://www.mesagrill.com/lasvegas/).
Even with all of those options there is no need to overlook the simple – Vegas is know for it’s buffets – check out the buffets at The
Bellagio, The Imperial Palace, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Mirage, and Planet Hollywood. Looking for something even more simple
– go for a burger at popular west coast fast food chain In-N-Out Burger (http://www.in-n-out.com/location_details.asp?id=86) or visit
Burger Bar (at the Mandalay Bay Hotel).
As you can see there’s more to Las Vegas than just casinos, so hopefully you will take a moment when we have a
break from the business of MAPLA & PLANC and get to do something fun in the city. For more information
please visit each individual hotel’s website or the official Las Vegas Tourism site at www.visitlasvegas.com.
Other information is also available at the site: www.vegas.com. See you in Vegas!
MAPLA Briefs: Summer 2008
Page 7
Pre-Law Student Organizations
Simpson, from page 4
students would find it interesting, relevant, and comprehensible
to pre-law students. After receiving positive feedback from the
PAD chapter, I decided to offer the program to all students on
campus next year.
Pre-law student organizations also provide another potential
source of funding. Because many campuses provide financial
support for student organizations, the organization can sponsor
programming that is outside or beyond your pre-law advising
budget. Last year, our PAD chapter was able to sponsor a trip
for 18 students to visit law schools and alumni lawyers in
Chicago, in large part because of the funding they received from
our Student Activities office.
Finally, unlike faculty and staff at many public institutions,
student organizations are not restricted from conducting
activities with outside vendors. Representatives from
companies that provide LSAT preparatory courses may make
announcements at their meetings and provide discounts and
scholarships for their members.
Advising an Inactive or Ineffective Student Organization
As with any organization, when advising an inactive or
ineffective pre-law student organization, you will likely need to
provide a lot of support and guidance to get them off to a solid
start. To begin, you must: 1) identify competent leadership;
2) provide organizational support; and 3) remain involved with
the organization.
The first step is identifying competent student leadership. If
your university has a pre-law society or fraternity, you should
first attempt to locate the leadership of that organization. After
talking with several of my colleagues and students, I learned that
my university had an active, but floundering pre-law chapter of
Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), an international law fraternity. Anxious
to get the organization back on track, I contacted PAD’s
Executive Office and requested contact information for the
chapter’s current leadership team. If your university does not
have an established student organization, you will need to first
identify students who are willing to serve as founding leaders
for the organization. If necessary, you may need to ask your
colleagues to provide recommendations.
Once you identify a strong and capable group of student leaders,
you should arrange an initial meeting. For new organizations,
you will likely need to spend a good deal of time during the
initial meeting establishing your organization’s rules and
regulations, assigning roles and responsibilities for the
leadership team, setting meeting dates and times, securing
meeting and office space, and deciding what types of programs
to offer. Because the organizational structure of our chapter was
already established by PAD’s Executive Office, we focused
primarily on understanding those guidelines, formulating
protocol for our local chapter, and brainstorming programming
ideas. We also initiated the student organization funding
process and secured space for membership meetings.
After my initial meeting with the leadership team, I actively
participated in their leadership meetings and attended nearly
every general membership meeting. As I had hoped, by the
middle of the first semester I noticed that the leadership team
was making amazing progress. In fact, I only needed to meet
briefly with the President of the organization before the
leadership team meetings, which he was now able to conduct
with very little assistance. At the end of the first semester, the
team decided to conduct semi-annual leadership retreats to focus
on teambuilding, reflect on their progress, and plan programs for
the upcoming semester. The President created the agenda and
conducted the retreat and I provided advice and support as
needed.
As a pre-law advisor, you also serve as an advocate and voice
for the organization, which helps the organization accomplish
more within the university and the community. By collaborating
with other university staff and city officials, we were able to
secure the local courthouse for the chapter’s next induction
ceremony.
By the end of our first year as a “reorganized” student
organization, our PAD chapter inducted nearly 100 members
and successfully implemented several major programs. The
pre-law fraternity also serves as an anchor for other law-related
student organizations, including Mock Trial, Student
Government, and Model UN.
Advising a pre-law student organization is an important role that
will provide wonderful opportunities for your pre-law students
and support for your role as pre-law advisor.
Of my
responsibilities for the coming year, advising the pre-law student
organization is one that I am most anticipating.
≈≈≈≈
Yvette R. Simpson, Esq. is the Director and Chief Advisor for
Miami University’s Pre-Law Program. For more information
please email her directly simpsoyr@muohio.edu.
October 15 – 18th, 2008
South Point Hotel Casino & Spa
Las Vegas, Nevada
Register at www.planc.org today!
c/o RJ Holmes
Cornell College Pre-Law Program
600 First St SW, Box 2316
Mount Vernon, IA 52314
MAPLA Briefs
MAPLA Board Elections 2008
The next MAPLA elections will take place Saturday,
October 18, 2008 at the PLANC conference in Las Vegas.
The MAPLA Board positions that will be open at that time
will be:
•
•
•
President-Elect
Secretary
Two Member-at-Large positions.
Nominations should be submitted to the Nominating
committee which includes Pam Allen, President
(allenp@denison.edu), Mac Francis, President-Elect
(rgfranci@indiana.edu), and Steve Nelson, Immediate Past
President, (stnelson@nmu.edu). Members can nominate
themselves, and nominees do not have to be present at the
election meeting.