Beginning this year, University pre-law students will be able to access a new source of information about law school.
Second-year Law student Davene Swinson unveiled a new mentoring program Sept. 3 that pairs University law students with pre-law undergraduates in an attempt to provide undergraduate students with information about preparing for, applying to and attending law school.
"I want students to benefit from the same enriching experience as I did as an undergraduate," Swinson said. "It was instrumental in my participation in law school."
When Swinson attended the University of North Carolina as an undergraduate, she participated in a pre-law mentoring program designed to help students who were uninformed about law school.
Upon arriving at the University of Virginia School of Law, she asked if a similar program existed, according to Catherine Gillespie, the pre-law advisor for University Career Services.
"The first thing she did at U.Va. Law was to see if they had that program," Gillespie said. "It didn't happen last year, but she approached us again."
The program, which will likely be named Legal Advisory Workshop for Undergraduate Students, or 'LAW for US,' was first announced via the pre-law e-mail list at the beginning of the month, and Swinson discussed the program at a Sept. 17 UCS general pre-law meeting.
Organizers held their first session last night, providing LSAT tips to students taking the test this week.
Because the program will begin with a limited number of mentors, it initially will be available only to fourth-year racial minorities and first-generation law students. Additionally, interested students were required to go through a short application process.
The program, part of the Law school's Committee for Progress on Race, was founded to promote minority awareness and preparedness for law school.
Gillespie said eventually the program aims to be open to all pre-law students.
UCS already offers advising and print resources for interested pre-law students.
The mentoring program is intended to provide undergraduates with information that comes from law students who have gone through the process themselves.
"It's nice knowing that there's another resource out there for students," Gillespie said.
Swinson said Law students have showed great enthusiasm for the program.
"Most had help when they applied to law school," she said. "They are excited about giving help back."
Phi Alpha Delta, the University pre-law fraternity, also may work with the mentoring program. According to President Christina Parrish, the fraternity and the program both will strive to inform students about law school.
Parrish and several other Phi Alpha Delta members have applied to the program. Parrish said she applied because she wanted to learn more about law school.
"There's a lack of information that's available for pre-law students at the University, especially minority students, and this is a great way to get lawyers into the system," Parrish said.
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