More than 45 Brock students attended the Law Forum Panel Oct. 1, as part of the ‘Thinking About Law’ series offered by Career Services and the Department of Political Science, with sponsorship from Kaplan Prep Test.

The series is a collaborative effort by Lisa Kuiper, Career Services employer development co-ordinator, and Diane Leon, Political Science undergraduate advisor, to address their students’ requests for information about law school, the LSAT examination, and the career of law.

The four panellists included two Brock graduates from the sociology and political science programs who returned to share their experiences and career advice with current students, and two members of Kaplan’s faculty:

Shannon McHugh: Associate lawyer, Sullivan Mahoney LLP (BA ’07)
Alexandrina Valova: Associate lawyer, RZCD Lay Firm LLP (BA ’08)
Irene Kim: Faculty manager, Kaplan (Boston College Law School 2003)
Tristan Harcourt: Faculty, Kaplan (University of Toronto economics grad, current student at University of London law school)

Moderator Matthew Hennigar, Associate Professor of Political Science at Brock, engaged panellists by asking a wide range of questions.

Questions were then opened to the floor, where students inquired about panellists’ personal experiences, opinions on applications, selecting law schools, and studying for the LSAT.

“This forum is intended to give students an idea of what it takes to pursue a career in law and where they could land with their career after law school,” said Kuiper. “At the same time, it provides students with the insight that just because you go to law school and/or pass the bar exam, (it) does not mean you have to be a lawyer. There are many career opportunities that exist that would require a background in law.”

Kaplan faculty member Tristan Harcourt informed students that he has no interest in becoming a lawyer, but noted he enjoys the skills he has developed at law school, such as reasoning, the ability to be analytical, research and the capability to communicate well orally.

Harcourt now utilizes his skills in teaching students how to study for the LSAT.

The panellists agreed students need to know themselves, what is important to them, and what they want out of their career before they pursue a career in law.

The panellists said studying law requires discipline and that study habits become more intense in law school.

Students in attendance agreed the best part of the forum was the panellists sharing their personal experience and career advice, and felt the Law Forum Panel should be offered every year to students who are thinking about law school.

The panel provided current students with the ability to foresee what would be required of them when pursuing a career in law and to make the best career decisions while pursuing a career in law.

Other upcoming sessions offered by the ‘Thinking About Law’ series include: How to Write a Personal Statement for Law School, LSAT Practice Test, and Law School Class Experience.

All sessions will be posted on the CareerZone event calendar as they are confirmed.

For more information about the ‘Thinking About Law’ series, contact Lisa Kuiper, Career Services employer development co-ordinator, or Diane Leon, Political Science undergraduate advisor.