Volume 15, Issue 8 | May 2023
The Newsletter of the Carnegie Mellon University Pre-Law Program
News
ABA Data Shows Growth in Employment for the Class of 2022
The American Bar Association released employment data for the graduating law class of 2022, showing positive growth for the second year in a row, but at a slower rate than the previous year.

U.S. News Reveals New Methodology for Rankings After Months of Law School Boycotts
U.S. News & World Report published its 2023-2024 Best Law Schools ranking, after months of boycotts from almost a third of law schools and its three-week delay due to data issues

Gen Z is Looking Beyond Big Law, Survey Shows
Gen-Z attorneys’ desire to work for a BigLaw firm after law school has decreased over the time of the pandemic, according to responses from the survey, Gen-Z: Now Influencing Today’s Law Firm Culture.

ABA Council Votes to Expand Distance Education Opportunities for Law Students
The council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently approved proposed revisions aimed at increasing the number of distance education credits offered by law schools. These revisions are expected to be presented to the House of Delegates for review in August before any formal changes are made.

Mississippi Law Alum Pays it Forward with Donation to Clinic Fund
Bobby Wood, a University of Mississippi School of Law alumnus contributed $60,000 to the fund he established in 2016, the Bobby Wood Clinical Programs Student Award Fund.
Opportunities

Columbia Undergraduate Law Review Summer Article Submissions NOW OPEN

Deadline for submissions: June 25 by 11:59 PM EDT

The Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, a journal of undergraduate legal scholarship based at Columbia University in the City of New York, is accepting submissions for its Summer 2023 issue.We welcome submissions of research articles, senior theses, and essays embracing a wide range of topics and viewpoints related to the field of law. Undergraduate students in any major, track, or class year should feel free to send us their work.

Harvard Law School Junior Deferral Program (JDP) Application Open
The Junior Deferral Program (JDP) is an excellent option for students who know they want to go to law school but want to explore other professional, educational, or service opportunities first. Through JDP, undergraduate students in junior standing (or the international equivalent) can apply to HLS as long as they are scheduled to complete all required coursework and graduate the following year. If admitted, they must commit to defer their admission offer for at least two years once they’ve completed their undergraduate degree. Students can then use this deferral period to explore their interests and gain hands-on work experience before returning to the law school classroom.

Launchpad Scholars Program: Applications Now Open!
First round applications due June 4, 2023
The Yale Law School Launchpad Scholars Program, powered by Latham & Watkins, is for applicants who are planning to apply to law school in the fall of 2024, with the goal of enrolling in law school in the fall of 2025. The program is open to current college students as well as college graduates. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3. There is no cost to apply to, or participate in, the program.

Job Opportunity for Carnegie Mellon Pre-Law Students
Schlichter Bogard & Denton has an exciting opportunity for a recent or upcoming college graduate with outstanding academic credentials and an interest in pursuing a legal career. We are seeking a full-time Legal Analyst who will support our nationally recognized trial attorneys, and who may also collaborate across our practice groups on business development efforts. This is an opportunity for an aspiring professional to gain meaningful exposure to important facets of legal practice with a values-driven, award-winning litigation firm that focuses on bringing high-impact litigation on behalf of individuals.
Advice
How to Negotiate More Money for Law School
You have heard back from all of the schools you applied to and you’ve been accepted by many. But there’s one problem - the schools you really like have not offered you the scholarships you were hoping for. How do you politely ask them to reconsider? Can you negotiate?

How to Leverage Public Loan Forgiveness While Balancing Financial Priorities in a Public Interest Career
With median entry-level salaries for legal services attorneys, public defenders and lawyers at public interest organizations hovering between $57,500 to $63,200, many public interest lawyers are caught in the balancing act of keeping debt-to-income ratios in a manageable range, servicing student loans and saving for the future.
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)

Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society
Sheldon Yawson
Psychology
President, Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society