Pre-Law Events
Overview
Pre-law events are open to all students who are interested in exploring the field of law, considering law school, and/or actively engaged in the law school application process. Unsure which events make sense for you? Contact the Pre-Law Program to learn more.
Workshops and Programs
Pre-Law Orientation
Offered in the fall and spring semesters
This orientation is offered at the beginning of every semester to welcome students to the Pre-Law Program. The Pre-Law Program is a great resource for those who are curious about the field of law, interested in attending law school, or exploring law as a potential career path. The orientation provides an overview of the program and outlines the next steps in your exploration.
View the Spring 2022 Orientation PowerPoint Presentation
LEAD Semester Kick-Off Event
Offered in the fall and spring semesters
The LEAD (Law Exploration and Advancing Diversity) Program is designed to support students of color who are exploring law as a potential career path or who are interested in applying to law school. This pipeline program is designed to help students build relationships and skills as they navigate the process. Each semester, we host an informal kick-off event for LEAD students. This is a great opportunity for students to meet the pre-law team and their peers, and to learn about the benefits of the LEAD Program.
Law School Personal Statement Writing Session
Spring 2023 TBD
This workshop is offered every semester and is recommended for students who are beginning their application process. In this session, Dr. Paul Patterson, faculty pre-law advisor, will guide students through the free write process and answer any questions students may have about the personal statement.
Dine with Hawks
Thursday, September 29, 2022, Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Pre-law students regularly engage with our law alumni in a small group setting for dinner. This is an opportunity for students to get to know our alumni and ask questions related to both law school and life as a lawyer. Students must be registered with the Pre-Law Program to receive email invitations to upcoming dinners.
LSAT Prep Workshop
Spring 2023 Dates TBA
Each spring the Pre-Law Program hosts an LSAT prep workshop designed to provide a jump start to preparation for the test. A veteran instructor will provide tips and strategies for test preparation and test taking.
LEAD Alumni Panel
Spring 2023 Date TBA
Saint Joseph’s alumni who are currently in law school will join us to share their insights on the application process, how they chose their law school, and their experience as a law student. This is an opportunity to get invaluable tips and advice from fellow Hawks.
Applying to Law School: Nuts and Bolts
Spring 2023 Date TBA
This workshop is offered in the fall each year in advance of the beginning of the law school application cycle. We will review the application checklist and timeline, provide tips on navigating the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) site, introduce resources that provide a helpful framework for students to follow when building their law school list, and answer students’ questions about the process.
Special Events and Lectures
Below are the featured events from the 2022-23 academic year. Please stay tuned for more information on events for the upcoming academic year.
Celebrate Constitution Day at Saint Joseph’s University
Friday, September 16, 2022
Join us for a Livestream of the National Constitution Center Event–Judges on Judging. The Honorable Marjorie Rendell, Cheryl Ann Krause, and Stephanos Bibas, judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, join the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Day celebrations to discuss how judges approach cases, reviewing the seven different methodologies of constitutional interpretation. The judges will also explain how the federal courts of appeal work and their role in the federal court system. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
The Nardi Symposium on Law and Justice
Thursday, March 23, 2023, Mandeville Teletorium.
Tomiko Brown-Nagin, author of Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality. The first major biography of one of our most influential judges—an activist lawyer who became the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary—that provides an eye-opening account of the twin struggles for gender equality and civil rights in the 20th Century. The symposium included opportunities for pre-law students to engage with the speaker throughout the day.
Additional Opportunities
Career Conversations
Register for your SJU Connects account and schedule career conversations with alumni working in the law and/or in related fields of interest.
LSAT Prep Award
This year there will be twenty-five (25) $400 SJU Law Alumni Endowment LSAT Prep Awards for students and alumni who are preparing to take the LSAT in 2022. Students who complete the no-cost Khan Academy course may use this award to offset the cost of supplemental tutoring sessions. The $400 will be sent to the awardee after the course is completed. If you have financial need that may require receiving your award earlier OR you need additional assistance, please contact Dr. Keri Clapp (kclapp@sju.edu) to discuss your situation.
Related Events and Resources
The Joseph William and Madeline Eberle Klein Series supports educational events directed toward greater inclusion in the Roman Catholic Church for those groups of persons currently disaffected from it.
The Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Center for Business Ethics provides events and programs for students to engage in careful, sustained and critical reflection on ethical issues and to use that reflection in their business decision-making.