Volume 11, Issue 1 | July 2020
The Newsletter of the Carnegie Mellon University Pre-Law Program
News
7 Ways to Still Have a Productive Summer, Even if Your Internship Fell Through
Your summer internship may have fallen through. Or you may have been able to find one. It's not an easy time to be a pre-law student. But despite the worldwide effects of COVID-19, there are still many ways to make your summer productive, even from home.

Selecting a Law School
Where should you apply? With more than 200 law schools, the choices seem endless. That’s why a lot of applicants turn to rankings. But a smart, logical approach can help you find the best schools for your situation.

Law Students Take Action Through Marches, Protests and Petitions
Law students are among the thousands who have been marching, protesting and calling for change. They’re standing up for police reform and for removing symbols of racism.

Acing Your Law School Experience
Welcome to law school! The next three years will go a long way toward determining the course of your professional life. Here are 10 things you should do to succeed in law school.

Three Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety About the Upcoming Law School Application Cycle
If you are thinking about applying to law school this year, no doubt you are anxious about how everything will work. While no one knows when everything will return to normal, there are some positive elements already in the current application cycle.

While a lot of students turn to friends, family and professional contacts to network in this challenging job market, one of the most valuable assets is the faculty at your school.What can you do so that your professor will write you a letter of recommendation?

P oor Bar Passage rates Threaten 10 Schools
The American Bar Association has put ten law schools on notice for failing to meet its new bar pass standard.
Law Schools
LA Law Schools Virtual Tours
If COVID-19 ruined your upcoming campus tour, don't worry - we've go you covered. If you're looking at going to law school in the Los Angelas area check out this virtual tour.

George Washington University Law School
The school excels in many areas, including environmental law, intellectual property law, trial advocacy, international law, and cybersecurity and national security.
Scholarships & Funding
The Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. Civil Rights Scholarship

Application deadline: July 31, 2020

The Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. will award five $500 scholarships to select entering first-year law students who have a demonstrated passion for protecting the civil rights of all Americans, especially those who are disenfranchised.
Other Opportunities
New "Legal Topics" Course to be Offered in Fall 2020

66-215, The Innovation Trials, 9 units
MW, 6:30-7:50 PM

This course will examine some of the most influential American intellectual property court battles throughout history and their impact on innovation. This course is geared toward students curious about America's industrial development and interested in the political and business strategies behind the greatest innovations and technological advances of the past several centuries. The course will answer the "who, what, where, when, why and how" of each specific case and place them in their historical context. In one example, the patent battle between Tesla and Marconi for the right to the radio will be explored. A close examination of this clash and the ensuing lawsuit will provide a critical view of the role of the U.S. Patent Office in influencing the development of wireless communications and the involvement of the U.S. government and the U.S. courts in the patent system during war time. Another example will examine the case of Selden v. Ford and its implications for innovation at the advent of the automobile industry. Additional American landmark innovation trials will include the cases of Kearns against the "Big Three" auto makers Ford, Chrysler and GM involving the intermittent windshield wiper, as well as the business and political strategies involved in the bid by Samuel F. B. Morse to monopolize his telegraph invention, and the "Great India Rubber Case" asserting Charles Goodyear's campaign for dominance over the rubber industry. No prerequisites
About Us
Pre-Law Advising Office
Dr. Joseph E. Devine
University Pre-Law Advisor
For an appointment, call 412-268-2831 or email jd0x@andrew.cmu.edu )
Fax: 412-268-5288

Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society
Elle Schaefer
Senior, Business Administration major
President, Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society