2010 Edition of Black Pre-Law Magazine

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description

Official souvenir conference program guide/magazine for the Sixth Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair 2010.

Transcript of 2010 Edition of Black Pre-Law Magazine

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TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE NEXT EDITION, VISIT: HOUSTONBLACKBOOK.COM

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table ofcontents2010 Advisory Board Members ............................... 5

Welcome from the Executive Director ...................... 6

Welcome from the Honorary Chairperson ................ 7

Letters of Support ............................................. 8-12

Keynote Speakers ..........................................16-17

Special Guests .....................................................18

Power Session Seminar Speakers .........................19

Workshop Sessions & Panel Discussions ........22-29

Schedule of Events.........................................30-34

Law School Recruitment Fair .................................35

BAYLOR LAW SCHOOL

THE BEST BELONG AT BAYLOR.

WE ARE BAYLOR LAW.�e study of law is a lifetime commitment. Our students choose to begin their journey at

Baylor not only because of our 95% bar passage rate, nationally-ranked advocacy program, state-of-the-art

facilities, diverse student body, experienced faculty and superior education, but also because we believe

that the best belong at Baylor, where opportunity and excellence meet.

Find out more about Baylor Law School at www.baylor.edu/law/ps [email protected] 254.710.2529

Hunton & Williams LLP is Proud to Sponsor The Sixth Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair.

w w w . h u n t o n . c o m

Atlanta • Austin • Bangkok • Beijing • Brussels • Charlotte • Dallas Houston • London • Los Angeles • McLean • Miami • New York

Norfolk • Raleigh • Richmond • San Francisco • Washington

13. Jo Saint-George, Esq., CEO, FHG Media Enterprises (Phoenix, Arizona)

14. Oswald J. Scott, Esq., Attorney at Law and Municipal Court Judge, City of Houston (Houston, Texas)

15. Aaron N. Taylor, Esq., Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Admissions, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (Little Rock, Arkansas)

16. David Taylor, Esq., Attorney Advisor, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Alexan-dria, Virginia)

17. Victor V. Wright, Esq., Senior Legal Counsel, TransCanada Corp. (Houston, Texas)

1. David E. Danner, Esq., Attorney at Law and Professor, Pre-Law Advisor, and Contract Specialist, Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee)

2. Cheryl Harris Diggs, Esq., Attorney at Law, Law Office of Cheryl Harris Diggs (Houston, Texas)

3. Angela L. Dixon, Esq., Attorney at Law, The Law Office of Angela L. Dixon, PLLC (Houston, Texas)

4. April Yvonne Garrett, M.A., M.T.S., Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Civic Frame (Baltimore, Maryland)

5. DeMonica D. Gladney, Esq., Counsel, ExxonMobil (Houston, Texas)

6. Psonya Celeste Hackett, Esq., Staff Attorney, Mississippi Supreme Court (Jackson, Mississippi)

7. Ronda L. Harrison, Esq., Attorney at Law (Houston, Texas)

8. Charles Holmes, Esq., Former Professor and Director of the Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Program, Tougaloo College (Tougaloo, Mississippi)

9. Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe, Esq., Assistant Special Litigation Counsel, Orleans Public Defenders (New Orleans, Louisiana)

10. Jean Johnson, Esq., President/CEO, LegalWATCH (Houston, Texas)

11. Reginald McGahee, Esq., Assistant Dean and Dean of Admissions, Howard University School of Law (Washington, DC)

12. BarbaraKaye Miller, Esq., Dean of Admissions, Phoenix School of Law (Phoenix, Arizona)

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Welcome! WWiTHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM THE

FOLLOWiNG iNDiViDUALS & ORGANizATiONS, THiS iMPORTANT ANNUAL EVENT WOULD

NOT BE POSSiBLE:

DiAmonD SPonSoR

PLAtinum SPonSoR

BRonzE SPonSoRS

CoPPER SPonSoR

PAtRon SPonSoRS

EDWARD F. FERNANDES& PEGGy FERNANDES

SAtuRDAy BREAKfAStSPonSoR

t-ShiRt SPonSoR

nAtionAL mEDiA SPonSoR

BLACK PRE-LAWtm mAgAzinEPublisher & Editor

EVANGELiNE M. MiTCHELLGraphic Design & Layout

AMOS & GRANT ADVERTiSiNG DESiGNAdvertising and Article Submissions

[email protected]

Copyright (C) 2010 Persistence of Vision LLC.All material in this magazine is copyrighted by

The National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair and Persistence of Vision LLC. All rights reserved.Material in this publication may not be reproduced

in any form without written permission fromthe publisher.

GREETINGS ASPIRING BLACK LAWYERS!

What a blessing to be celebrating our Sixth Annual National Black Pre-Law Con-ference and Law Fair 2010! For all of you who came out this year, your making the effort to be here demonstrates your seriousness about learning as much as you can so that you can make yourself a more excellent, strategic, and competi-tive law school applicant. We are so glad that you are here, and I can assure you that this will absolutely be our best conference yet!

This year, we have so many phenomenal things going on that I don’t know where to start. You all will benefit from the priceless knowledge, wisdom, and insight from truly outstanding keynote speakers who have literally come from all over the country just to be with you during this conference. Each and every speaker who has agreed to join us has demonstrated a sincere commitment to the African American community and diversifying the legal profession. We are so proud to welcome Conrad Johnson, a clinical professor at Columbia Law School whose recent study on African Americans and legal education brought national media attention to the disturbing fact that the majority (61%) of African Americans who apply to law school don’t get into any of the law schools they apply to. We welcome powerhouse entertainment attorney Karen Wishart, the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at TV One, a major African American cable/satellite network that reaches over 50 million homes. We get the opportunity to hear from Kent Lollis, a lawyer who has worked tirelessly for numerous years at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) on efforts to diversify American law schools. No one in our country can get into law school without going through LSAC, the organization that administers the application process and the Law School Admission Test.

As a University of Iowa College of Law graduate, it’s good to know that I will have both a former law professor and a fellow Iowa Law alumnus to address attendees. Adrien Katherine Wing, an extraordinarily accomplished law professor, writer, speaker, and citizen of the world, taught me in a course entitled “Race, Racism and American Law.” That is the one pivotal course during my law school career that I believe was “life-changing” as an African American and gave me a greater sensitivity to the facts regarding American law and race that I needed. The knowledge I was exposed to in that course helps inform the consciousness that I have this day. Professor Wing was always supportive of my efforts even as a young law student and she’s a wonderfully inspiring person who genuinely pours from the heart. Dennis Shields, a champion of diversity in legal education, previously served as the dean of admissions at the University of Michigan Law School. The admissions policies that he helped shape and was responsible for implementing were challenged and then upheld by the Supreme Court during the landmark 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger decision. This case has played a critical history-making role in maintaining needed affirmative action admissions policies that legalize admissions committees’ consideration of diversity factors in making decisions as to who they can admit.

In addition, you all will have the honor of hearing from incredibly influential and well-respected Black lawyers including Gene Locke (Partner, Andrews Kurth), Angela Birch Cox (Chair, Board of Directors, Council on Legal Education Opportunity), Harrison Gregg, Jr. (President, Houston Lawyers Association), and Daniella D. Landers (Chair, Racial Diversity in the Profession Committee, State Bar of Texas). Moreover, you all have the opportunity to participate in almost 30 information-packed and always powerful workshop sessions and panel discussions covering everything you would want to know about making the decision to attend law school, law school admission, the law school experience, passing the bar exam, career options, and more, including diversity issues and concerns touching African Americans in particular. In every session, you will directly benefit from learning from the expertise and experiences of successful and community-oriented law students, attorneys, judges, and law school administrators from all over the United States.

Moreover, you will have the unprecedented chance to get your individual questions answered during our Law School Admission & Preparation Advice Help Clinic™. Furthermore, we’ve added a new signature event this year as you are able to get real assistance with your application materials during our Personal Statement, Diversity Statement, Resume, and Addendum Practical Assistance Session. Experienced law school admissions professionals, pre-law advisors, and attorney-mentors will be available to help you.

As always, conferees have the chance to connect with representatives from nearly 100 law schools from all over the country who are here to recruit you. Finally, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to network and make connections that can lead to long-lasting and meaningful friendships and professional relationships through our breakfasts, refreshment breaks, and networking mixers/socials.

We are making sure that we integrate our African American legal history throughout the conference. We don’t just want aspiring Black lawyers to walk away with the empowering information, resources, and connections – but also a critical consciousness of the struggle that has enabled us to have the opportunity to become lawyers in our great nation when at one time being Black was enough to make such an aspiration an impossibility. We must never forget that our legal system sanctioned and enforced slavery and segregation, and then freed our ancestors from bondage and mandated integration. The power of the law and our legal system cannot be denied. However, we all know that our struggle has not ended. Knowledge is power, and with greater knowledge we can close the gap and more African Americans with the desire to earn a legal education can become better equipped to be successful. Our prayer is that once you benefit from this conference and other such efforts and successfully get into law school, get through it, and become a lawyer, you too must make a commitment to “give back” to others that come behind you. Whenever I think about what my forefathers went through, I know that this is a social responsibility that we all have to the next generation.

I urge all conference participants to fully take advantage of everything that is being offered throughout the entire conference weekend. Always remember that so many of us before you could only dream of an opportunity such as this one. Don’t take it for granted. Enjoy the conference! Maximize your experience! Just like so many who have participated in past years, I know it will be a wonderful, powerful, and life-changing experience for you as well! Treat it like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because it is. I look forward to meeting you and remaining in good touch throughout the years. I speak success into your lives and am confident that if you really want law school, you will get in, be successful, and make a positive mark on the world.

Best and warmest regards,Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq.Founder & Executive Director, National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair

Evangeline

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602.682.6800www.phoenixlaw.edu

2010 Recipient of 2010 Law School Admissions Council’s Diversity Matters Award2009 Ranked #8 in Princeton Review for Most Diverse Faculty

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�e University of Maryland School of Law.Real-World �inking. Worldwide Reach.

www.law.umaryland.edu

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FRIDAY OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKERProfessor Conrad Johnson joined the Columbia faculty in 1989 after two years as an As-

sistant Professor at the City University of New York School of Law and many years as the attorney-in-charge of the Harlem neighborhood office of The Legal Aid Society of New York City. He served as Director of Clinical Education from 1992 to 1996. He co-founded, and for eleven years directed, the Law School’s Fair Housing Clinic, which specialized in civil rights litigation. In 2001, he co-founded the Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic, a path-breaking offering that explores the impact of technology on law practice and the profession through client work and collaborative projects with major public inter-est legal organizations and prominent jurists. Professor Johnson is recognized nationally as a leader in innovative legal education, access to justice and technology.

FRIDAY LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKERKaren Wishart, Esq., the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for TV One, joined

TV One in January 2005. In this position, she oversees the business and legal affairs department, as well as the human resources department for the company. Her responsibilities include the negotiation of agreements for all of the company’s business units, as well as corporate governance, risk assess-ment and strategic planning. In addition, she is the Secretary to the Board of Managers. .

Wishart joined TV One from Scripps Networks, where she was Vice President of Business Affairs, serving as a lead negotiator of business agreements for the company’s domestic and international television and production units, including Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY-Do It Yourself Network, Fine Living, Shop At Home Network, and Scripps Productions.

Before joining Scripps as a Director in 1997, Wishart spent the first five years of her career as an Associate Lawyer in the entertainment and administrative law division of Cassels Brock & Blackwell in Toronto, Canada. In 1994, she joined YTV, Canada, Inc. & GRC Productions as a Director in the busi-ness and regulatory affairs department.

Wishart graduated from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, with a B.A. degree in honors psychology. She earned a J.D. from the University of Windsor and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta.

FRIDAY LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKERKent D. Lollis, Esq. is the Executive Director for Diversity Initiatives at the Law School Admis-

sion Council (LSAC). Mr. Lollis directs and implements the Council’s programs designed to increase the number of lawyers from underrepresented minority groups, monitors the Council’s equal oppor-tunity efforts in employment and vending, and serves as the principal staff liaison to LSAC’s Diversity Committee. Prior to joining LSAC, he held faculty and administrative positions at the Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law and the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. Mr. Lollis is admitted to the Kentucky and Pennsylvania Bars and has practiced corporate, labor, and employment discrimination law. He currently serves on the American Bar Association (ABA) Presi-dent’s Advisory Council on Diversity, and the Bar Examination Committee of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. He has previously served on the ABA Section’s Diversity Com-mittee and the ABA Division for Public Education Advisory Committee. For his work in equal access to the legal profession, he received the 2008 Saint Thomas More Award from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He has also received awards from the National Bar Association, Tougaloo College, the National People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference, and the Wingspread Law School Leadership Consortium. Mr. Lollis earned his juris doctor and master of management degrees at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brown University.

SATURDAY LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKERDennis Shields, J.D. has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education and law. Long

associated with many of our nation’s premiere schools, Shields is an expert on law school admissions and diversity in legal education and has written extensively on the subject of diversity in education. Additionally, Mr. Shields is a frequent speaker and contributor at education conferences on diversity.

Prior to his current position as Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, he served as the Vice President for Student Affairs at The City College of New York. He served as Dean at Phoenix School of Law (founded in 2005) and led the school to provisional approval by the American Bar Association. Chancellor Shields has served in leadership roles with several national organizations affiliated with legal education. Prior to joining Phoenix School of Law, Chancellor Shields served in senior administrative posts at the University of Iowa College of Law, the University of Michigan Law School and Duke University School of Law. He was instrumental in drafting the University of Michigan Law School admissions policy and had primary responsibility for its implementation. This policy was unsuccessfully challenged in Grutter v. Bollinger, in which the U. S. Supreme Court held that both the policy and the methods of its implementation were constitutional. Chancellor Shields received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Vice President Shields is married to Aundra N. Shields and has three sons.

Conrad Johnson, Esq.Clinical Professor of Law

Columbia Law SchoolNew York, New York

Adrien Katherine Wing, Esq.Bessie Dutton Murray Professor of Law

University of Iowa College of LawIowa City, Iowa

Dennis Shields, J.D.Chancellor

University of Wisconsin - PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin

Karen Wishart, Esq.Executive Vice Presidentand Chief Legal Officer

TV OneSilver Spring, Maryland

Kent D. Lollis, Esq.Executive Director for Diversity Initiatives

Law School Admission Council (LSAC)Newtown, Pennsylvania

SATURDAY OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKERProfessor Adrien Wing is the Bessie Dutton Murray Professor at the Universty of Iowa College of Law.

Additionally, she is the on-site Director for the London Law Consortium semester abroad program and the director of the summer abroad program in Arcachon, France. She served as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development from 2006-2009 as well.

After receiving her bachelor of arts degree from Princeton with high honors in 1978, Professor Wing earned her master of arts degree in African studies from UCLA in 1979. She obtained her doctorate of jurisprudence degree in 1982 from Stanford Law School, and was awarded the Stanford African Student Association Prize. While in law school, she served as an editor of the Stanford Journal of International Law, as an intern with the United Nations Council on Namibia, and as Southern Africa Task Force Director of the National Black Law Students Association.

Prior to joining the College of Law faculty in 1987, Professor Wing spent five years in practice in New York City with Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle and with Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard, Krinsky & Lieberman, specializing in international law issues regarding Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. She also served as a representative to the United Nations for the National Conference of Black Lawyers.

Professor Wing presently teaches International Human Rights, and Law in the Muslim World. She has taught US Constitutional Law, Critical Race Theory, Comparative Law, Comparative Constitutional Law, Race, Racism &

American Law, Law in Radically Different Cultures, and the International and Domestic Legal Aspects of AIDS. She is, in addition, a member of the Uni-versity of Iowa’s interdisciplinary African Studies faculty and North Africa/Middle East faculty groups. During fall 2002, she was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan Law School.

Author of more than 100 publications, Wing is the editor of Critical Race Feminism -- A Reader and Global Critical Race Feminism: An International Reader, both from NYU Press. Her US-oriented scholarship has focused on race and gender discrimination, including topics such as the impact of Hur-ricane Katrina, gangs, mothering, affirmative action, the war on terrorism, and polygamy in Black America. Her international scholarship has emphasized two regions: Africa, especially South Africa; and the Middle East, in particular the Palestinian legal system. Constitutionalism, women’s rights, rape in Bosnia, Muslim headscarves in France, Tunisian secularism, and Turkish democracy are among the topics of recent articles.

Professor Wing has advised the founding fathers and mothers of three constitutions: South Africa, Palestine, and Rwanda. She organized an election-observer delegation to South Africa, and taught at the University of Western Cape for six summers. She also advised the Eritrean Ministry of Justice on human rights treaties.

An accomplished public speaker, Wing has lectured all over the world, including most recently in New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, and Indonesia. Having studied French, Portuguese, and Swahili, she served on delegations to many nations including Angola, Cuba, Egypt, Grenada, Israel, Jordan, Ke-nya, Lebanon, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Palestine, Panama, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. She has conducted additional research in China, France, Hong Kong, Brazil, London, and Tunisia.

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Pre-Conference Power Session Speakers2010 Special guests

Angela Birch Cox, Esq.Chairperson

Board of Directors, Council onLegal Education Opportunity

(CLEO)Houston, Texas

Eartha Jean Johnson, Esq., LL.M.

Founder & PresidentLegalWATCH

Houston, Texas

Harrison Gregg, Esq.President

Houston Lawyers AssociationHouston, Texas

Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq., Ed.M.

Founder & Executive DirectorNational Black Pre-Law Conference

Houston, Texas

Daniella D. Landers, Esq.Chairperson

Racial Diversity in the Profession Committee, State Bar of Texas

Houston, Texas

Kenya C. White, M.S.Director of Continuing Education

Lone Star CollegeHouston, Texas

Gene Locke, Esq.Partner

Andrews Kurth LLPHouston, Texas

S H O O K , H A R DY & B A C O Nis honored to sponsor the

2 0 1 0 N AT I O N A L B L AC K P R E - L AW C O N F E R E N C E & L AW S C H O O L R E C RU I T M E N T FA I R

to give students tools for success in law school and in their communities.

SHB lives its commitment to diversity every day. To learn more, please visit www.shb.com.

GENEVA | HOUSTON | KANSAS CITY | LONDON | MIAMI | ORANGE COUNTY | SAN FRANCISCO | TAMPA | WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Michelle P. WimesDirector of Strategic Diversity [email protected](816) 474-6550

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Fundamental to the Future

McGuireWoods knows that making the most of our resources isimperative for success. That’s one reason we promote talented lawyers into leadership – like Alan Cason.

Alan earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Maryland. He began as a Baltimore associate in our firm 15 years ago, because he saw opportunities here that he didn’t see elsewhere. Today, he’s managing partner of that office and a department chair.

He is a board trustee for the University of Maryland Foundation and a past president of the University of Maryland Alumni Association. Having chaired the firm’s 2010-2012 Strategic Planning Committee that created a plan that supports diversity initiatives as fundamental to the future, Alan continues to prove his dedication to helping young people of color gain access to opportunities similar to his.

Jacquelyn E. Stone, Hiring Partner and Diversity Committee Member804.775.1046 | [email protected]

www.mcguirewoods.com

University of St. ThomasSchool of Law

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Our firm is proud to supportThe Sixth AnnualNational Black Pre-LawAdmissions & PreparationConference and Law Fair

MAKING A

At Bracewell & Giuliani, our ability to serve our clients is strengthened

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Individual Differences Common Strength

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David E. Danner, Esq. (Nashville)Advisory Board Member

National Black Pre-Law Conference & Law School Recruitment (NBPLC)

Congratulations to Evangeline Mitchell, NBPLC Founder, for her inspirational; vision and persevering action which have

produced a successful forum for theadvancement of inclusive opportunity

within the legal profession.

Resources for theAspiring Black Lawyer• TheAfricanAmericanPre-LawSchoolAdviceGuide• TheAfricanAmericanLawSchoolSurvivalGuide• ConqueringtheBarExam

Purchase online:www.EvangelineMitchellEsquire.com

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Pacheco, Esq., LL.M. (Resumes/Addenda)__________________________________

FOCUS: THE LAW SCHOOLADMISSIONS PROCESS

(Panel Discussion) How the Law School Admissions Process Works and How to Make Yourself a Competitive Applicant Description: in this panel, knowledgeable law school admissions deans and directors discuss ad-missions requirements, what law schools are look-ing for in “competitive” applicants, and what minority candidates can do to stand apart from other smart and talented admissions candidates. These admis-sions “insiders” will also discuss affirmative action, and the role that “diversity” plays in the admissions process.

Moderator: Reginald McGahee, Esq., Assis-tant Dean and Dean of Admissions, Howard Univer-sity School of Law (Washington, DC)

Panelists: Michele Hayes, J.D., LL.M., Di-rector of Student Recruiting, University of Maryland School of Law (Baltimore, Maryland), Jimmi Nich-olson, M.S., Assistant Director for Admissions & Minority Affairs, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Jennifer Sims, Esq., Assistant Dean for Admissions, Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama), Ivy Washington-Marshall, J.D., Associate Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, The University of Akron School of Law (Akron, Ohio)__________________________________

(Panel Discussion) Mock Law SchoolAdmissions Committee

Description: Law school admissions profes-sionals will discuss fictitious applicants openly as if they were in an actual law school admissions com-mittee meeting. The purpose is so that attendees

of Admissions, Howard University School of Law (Washington, DC); Honorable Njeri Mathis Rutledge, Associate Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law; Municipal Judge, City of Houston (Houston, Texas); Victor V. Wright, Esq., Senior Legal Counsel, TransCanada Corp. (Houston, Texas)__________________________________

(Workshop) Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) Test-Taking Strategies Session

Description: During this workshop, high stakes admissions test expert, Akil Bello, breaks down what is tested on the Law School Admissions Test, how to best prepare for the exam, and key test-taking strat-egies for working toward earning your highest pos-sible score. you can’t afford to miss this session!

Presenter: Akil Bello, Co-Founder, Bell Curves (New york, New york)__________________________________

FOCUS: ESSAYS - PERSONALSTATEMENT AND DIVERSITYSTATEMENT

(Workshop) The Personal Statement andthe Diversity Statement: Similarities,Differences, Tips and Techniques

Description: This workshop will cover the per-sonal statement and the diversity statement. The personal statement is a written piece that is used by law school applicants, and reviewed by law school admissions officers. Many law school admissions of-fices also request a diversity statement. Come hear and see what the differences are between the two documents, and learn about the role that each one plays in the law school admissions process. Also, at-tendees will gain some vital information about what makes a good statement, and what makes a state-ment dysfunctional.

FOCUS: ORIENTATION/CONFERENCEPARTICIPATION

(Workshop) How to Maximize the Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair Experience

Description: This hard-hitting session provides a brief orientation of the National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair, as well as strategies for taking full advantage of and truly maximizing the conference and law fair experience. it is designed to share with registrants the realities of what it takes to put a conference together, the unique opportunities that the conference offers, and the things they as aspiring law students need to do in order to make certain that they get the absolute most out of the ex-perience. Those who participate will walk away with an important reality check and needed perspective regarding the special challenges and issues facing aspiring Black lawyers in particular and how special the opportunity presented to them is. This session is highly recommended for all pre-law attendees, even those who have attended during previous years. For pre-law students only! BONUS: All registrants will receive free access to Evangeline’s webinar “Creat-ing a Strategic Action Plan for Law School Admis-sions Success.”

Presenter: Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq., Ed.M., Founder and Executive Director, National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair (Houston, Texas)__________________________________

FOCUS: NETWORKING ANDRELATIONSHIP BUILDING

(Workshop) Networking 101: Essentials to Building Strong and Lasting Relationships and a Loyal Following

Description: This interactive workshop is de-signed to teach you how to network effectively and give you tips on practices that can help you build

can witness how admissions committee members really think and what they are looking for in select-ing competitive applicants. Participants will gain the opportunity to follow along while looking at practi-cal examples of the credentials being considered by the admissions committee at Any Law School USA. This panel discussion will provide invaluable “insider” insight pre-law students need to better understand how the highly competitive law school admissions selection process really works.

Moderator: Sandra L. English, Esq., Assistant Director of Admission, Financial Aid and Multicultural Recruitment, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University (Cleveland, Ohio)

Panelists: Yvonne Cherena-Pacheco, J.D., LL.M., Assistant Dean for Enrollment Man-agement and Director of Admissions, City University of New york (CUNy) School of Law (Flushing, New york), Michele Hayes, J.D., LL.M., Director of Student Recruiting, University of Maryland School of Law (Baltimore, Maryland); Ivy Washington-Marshall, J.D., Assistant Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, The University of Akron School of Law (Akron, Ohio); Anthony D. Pledger, J.D., Multicultural Affairs Officer, Widener University School of Law (Wilmington, Delaware)

(Workshop) Getting Everyone into Law School: Advice for Students With Below Aver-age LSAT Scores or Low GPAs

Description: if you’re ready for some tough love, Dean Martinez-Anderson is ready to tell you what it’s going to take. There really are law schools out there that will admit students with below average numbers. To be one of those students, you’ll need to get the facts about the admissions process and you’ll also need to take a look in the mirror. This is not a session that will give you a magic pill, but you will hear real solutions from someone who knows how and why some make it in and others do not.

strong relationships and a loyal network throughout your career and life.

Presenter: Eartha Jean Johnson, Esq., LL.M., Founder and President, LegalWATCH (Houston, Texas)__________________________________

FOCUS: PROFESSIONAL IMAGE ANDBUSINESS ETIQUETTE

(Workshop) You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: Learn the Rules and Play the Game

Description: This power-packed session holds no punches. Put your best foot forward at all times by learning how to avoid the common pitfalls that professionals make every day. Learn how to effec-tively present a positive and professional image that will pave the way for nothing but success. in today’s environment, you must learn the rules if you want to play the game.

Presenter: Kenya C. White, M.S., Director of Continuing Education, Lone Star College; Consultant, Talent Development (Houston, Texas)__________________________________

ATTORNEY-MENTOR TRAINING

The training session is mandatory for all “attorney mentor” volunteers interested in assisting with the Law School Admission and Preparation Advice Help Clinic™ and the Personal Statement, Diversity State-ment, Resume, and Addendum Assistance Session. The goal is to give them “good, solid, up-to-date in-formation” to share with the pre-law students that they speak with one-on-one during the special sessions.

Trainers: BarbaraKaye Miller, Esq. (Admis-sions Process); Aaron N. Taylor, Esq., Ed.D. (The Law School Admission Test), Collins Byrd, Jr., MBA (Personal Statement/Diversity Statement), Yvonne Cherena-

Presenter: Tamara Martinez-Anderson, Assistant Dean for Admission, Financial Aid and Mar-keting, Concordia University School of Law (Boise, idaho)__________________________________

FOCUS: LAW SCHOOLADMISSION TEST

(Panel Discussion) Addressing the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Achievement Gap: Keys to Excellent Preparation forEarning the Scores that Law Schools Expect from Competitive Applicants

Description: This panel discusses the extremely important role that the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) plays in distinguishing applicants for admission and its usefulness as a predictor of success during the first year in law school. Panelists impart criti-cal information on how applicants can best prepare themselves to perform at their highest level on this all-important exam. Test preparation and test-taking strategies will be shared. There will also be discus-sion about some of the factors that lead to African Americans’ underperforming on these exams, and how future test takers can avoid making common mistakes and buying into stereotypes and misconcep-tions about Blacks inability to “test well” that contribute to less than stellar scores.

Moderator: Jamila Patten, J.D., Associate, Jackson Walker (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Akil Bello, Co-Founder, Bell Curves (New york, New york), Honorable W.E.B. Black-mon, Attorney at Law, Dennis Spurling, P.L.L.C. (Of Counsel); Former Adjunct Instructor, USAF Judge Ad-vocate General School (Lieutenant Colonel - Retired); Former International Election Supervisor; Retired Jurist (Houston, Texas), Edward F. Fernandes, Esq., Partner, Hunton & Williams LLP (Austin, Texas) Regi-nald McGahee, Esq., Assistant Dean and Dean

workshop sessions and panel discussions

The Sixth Annual National Black Pre-LawAdmissions & Preparation Conference& Law School Recruitment Fair 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010 throughSunday, November 14, 2010

The University of Houston | Houston, Texas

Tamara Martinez-Anderson

Abimbola O. “B” Bukoye, Esq.

Shannon Baldwin, Esq.

Hon. Arthur Burnett, Sr.

Anita Barksdale, Esq.

Collins J. Byrd Jr., MBA

Hon. Mason D. Barrett

Joe R. Caldwell, Esq.

Akil Bello

Cheryl Roche Carter, Esq.

W.E.B. Blackmon, Esq.

Yvonne Cherena-Pacheco, J.D., LL.M.

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Moderator: Darrell J. Davis, J.D., Assistant Dean for Students and Multicultural Affairs, Hamline University School of Law (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

Panelists: Jerome Coenic-Taylor, Esq., Attorney at Law, Protecting Legacies LLC (Chi-cago, illinois) (University of iowa College of Law), Psonya Celeste Hackett, Esq., Staff Attorney, Mississippi Supreme Court (Jackson, Mississippi) (University of Mississippi School of Law), Shirley A. Jefferson, Esq., Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity, Vermont Law School (South Royalton, Vermont) (Vermont Law School), Atonya McClain, Esq., Attorney, Law Offices of Atonya McClain PLLC (Houston, Texas) (Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University), Travis Alexander Torrence, Esq., Senior Associate, Fulbright & Jaworski (Houston, Texas) (yale Law School), Diana N. Walker, Esq., Senior Associ-ate, Tax Controversy Services Group, alliantgroup lp (Houston, Texas) (University of Houston Law Cen-ter)_________________________________

FOCUS: INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE METHOD AND THE SOCRATIC METHOD OF LAW SCHOOL INSTRUCTION

Mock Law School Class Description: in this session, attendees have the chance to participate in an interactive “mock” law school class taught by real law professors. Students are expected to have prepared for the class before-hand by reading the assigned case or statute. A list of participants will be provided to professors and students will be required to place name cards on their desks. Any “law student” will be subject to be-ing cold called by the professor.

During the mock classroom experience, participants will be able to experience first-hand the case meth-od and the Socratic method of class discussion as

Panelists: Collins J. Byrd Jr., MBA, As-sistant Dean for Admissions, The University of iowa College of Law (iowa City, iowa) – Philip G. Hub-bard Law School Preparation Program; Yolanda Ingram, Esq., Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (Memphis, Tennessee) – Tennessee institute for Pre-Law; Aaron N. Taylor, Esq., Ed.D., As-sociate Dean for Admissions and Scholarships, Uni-versity of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law (Little Rock, Arkansas) – Pre Law Undergradu-ate Scholars (PLUS) Program; Duane Tobias, Esq., Law School Academic Coordinator, Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) (Washing-ton, DC)_________________________________

FOCUS: DIVERSITY ISSUES

(Panel Discussion) Life as a Black Law Stu-dent: Coping with the Additional Burdens of Racism and Prejudice, and Ways to Make Positive Contributions in the Law School Environment and Legal Work Setting Description: This session discusses the impor-tance of diversity in law schools, and the challenges that this diversity can bring. Panelists address the realities of prejudice and discrimination in a diverse law school environment, particularly issues that Black law students must face. The discussion will provide helpful suggestions to assist future law stu-dents in understanding that they can use such in-stances as opportunities for teaching moments and leadership in the law school community precisely due to their unique experiences and perspectives. There will also be discussion about navigating ra-cial issues in legal work settings while still a law student.

Moderator: Darrell J. Davis, Esq., Assistant Dean for Students and Multicultural Affairs, Hamline University School of Law (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Presenters: Collins J. Byrd Jr., MBA, Assis-tant Dean for Admissions, The University of iowa Col-lege of Law (iowa City, iowa), Sandra L. English, Esq., Assistant Director of Admission, Financial Aid and Multicultural Recruitment, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University (Cleve-land, Ohio)__________________________________

FOCUS: FINANCING LEGALEDUCATION

(Panel Discussion) How to Finance a Law School Education: Insider Information on Loans, Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (and Money Management Tips) Description: During this panel discussion, the panelists will discuss how aspiring lawyers without personal or family wealth will be able to finance an expensive professional legal education. information will be provided about those resources available (including loans, scholarships, fellowships, grants, as well as Loan Repayment Assistance Programs) and how incoming law students can qualify for them. There will also be discussion on debt management and how one’s debt load can impact their career decisions.

Moderator: BarbaraKaye Miller, Esq., Dean of Admissions, Phoenix School of Law (Phoenix, Ari-zona)

Panelists: Sandra L. English, Esq., Assistant Director of Admission, Financial Aid and Multicultural Recruitment, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University (Cleveland, Ohio), Jen-nifer Sims, Esq., Assistant Dean for Admissions, Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama), Aaron N. Taylor, Esq., Ed.D., Associate Dean for Admissions and Scholar-ships, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen

a learning tool to teach students how to “think like a lawyer.”

Professors: Carla Pratt, Esq., Professor of Law, Penn State The Dickinson School of Law (Uni-versity Park, Pennsylvania)Assignment: Brown v. Board of EducationElbert Robertson, Esq., Professor of Law, Suffolk University School of Law (Boston, Massachusetts)Assignment: Lambertson v. The United StatesPatricia Wilson, Esq., Professor of Law, Baylor Law School (Waco, Texas).Assignment: Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act

All assignments are posted online at:www.BlackPreLaw.com/2010. Extra copies of assignments will be available at the Registration Center.__________________________________

FOCUS: THE LAW SCHOOLEXPERIENCE

(Panel Discussion) The Challenges and Rewards of Law School, and How to Best Prepare for A Successful Law School Experi-ence Description: in this session, panelists will discuss what it is really like to be a law student – the aca-demic expectations and the daily grind, as well as the competing demands and opportunities outside of the classroom. They will provide strategies for achiev-ing success in the classroom, during study, and on exams, as well as through positive involvement and leadership in co-curricular and extra-curricular activi-ties as well. They will stress the importance of both working hard, playing hard, and having a solid sup-port system in place in order to achieve a positive and somewhat balanced law school experience.

Moderator: Darrell J. Davis, J.D., Assistant Dean for Students and Multicultural Affairs, Hamline

School of Law (Little Rock, Arkansas), Lillie V. Wi-ley-Upshaw, Vice Dean for Admissions & Financial Aid, University at Buffalo Law School – State Univer-sity of New york (Buffalo, New york)

(Workshop) What You Don’t KnowCan Hurt You

Description: Once you know where you plan to attend law school and how much financial support you can expect to receive from the law school, you will believe your financial concerns have ended, right? What about the seat deposit and relocation costs? in this session, law school applicants will become knowl-edgeable about additional hidden costs that arise dur-ing the first year of law school. These matriculation, ancillary, and bar admittance costs have a negative impact on students’ ability to stretch their financial aid funds. Come and learn how to avoid these unneces-sary financial pitfalls.

Presenter: Veronica Wilson, Assistant Director of Development, University of California, irvine School of Law (irvine, California)__________________________________

FOCUS: LAW SCHOOLSELECTION/CHOICE

(Panel Discussion) How to Choose theBest Law School for You Description: Choosing a law school is an impor-tant decision warranting thoughtful and serious con-sideration. During this session, attorneys discuss the many factors one needs to carefully consider when making a decision about what law schools to apply to and which to ultimately attend. your law school choice will follow you throughout your career and life, there-fore it is crucial that you make the right choice about the law school that is the best fit for you, and that you can be proud of having chosen to attend.

University School of Law (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

Panelists: Kapril Saunders, Third-Year Law Student, The University of iowa College of Law (iowa city, iowa); Tamecia Glover Harris, Second-Year Law Student, The University of Houston Law Center (Houston, Texas); Catina Haynes, Esq., Associate, Fulbright & Jaworski (Houston, Texas); Shirley A. Jefferson, Esq., Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity, Vermont Law School (South Royalton, Vermont); Keith Lampkin, Second-Year Law Stu-dent, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas South-ern University (Houston, Texas); Justin E. Pruett, Second-Year Law Student, Roger Williams University School of Law (Bristol, Rhode island)_________________________________

FOCUS: THE LAW SCHOOLPREPARATION PROGRAMS

(Panel Discussion) Start Out Ahead of the Game: The Benefits of Participating in Law School Preparation Programs Description: Law school learning is different from what you have experienced in previous educational experiences. By gaining a better understanding of the case method, the Socratic method, legal research and writing, how law students are evaluated, and what is expected of you as a law student before you even apply to and start law school– you will gain an edge against your classmates in the highly competitive legal educational environment. There are several law school preparation programs designed to help prepare you for the experience. Learn more about some of the existing programs and how you can apply for and take advantage of them so you can start out ahead of the game – instead of behind.

Moderator: Anthony D. Pledger, J.D., Multi-cultural Affairs Officer, Widener University School of Law (Wilmington, Delaware)

Timberly Davis, Esq.Jerome Coenic-Taylor, Esq.

Donna Davis-Gregory, J.D.Sandra L. English, Esq.

Frederick L. Day, Esq.Matthew O. Coward, Esq.

Carol Y. Guess, Esq.Edward F. Fernandes

Marva FabienAngela Birch Cox, Esq.

Psonya Hackett, Esq., MBAGinna Galbraith, Esq.

Cheryl Harris Diggs, Esq. David E. Danner, Esq.

Lewis K. Harley, Esq.DeMonica D. Gladney, Esq.

Angela L. Dixon, Esq.Darrell J. Davis, Esq.

Jim Harper, Esq.Tamekia Goliday, Esq.

Robert A. Elliott II, JD Candidate

Govinda Davis, J.D. Candidate

Angel S. Harris, Esq.W. Bernard Goudeau, III, Esq.

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can Drug Policy Coalition, inc. (Washington, DC); Honorable Oswald J. Scott, Jr., Attorney and Municipal Judge, City of Houston (Houston, Texas); Travis Alexander Torrence, Esq., Senior Associate, Fulbright & Jaworski (Houston, Texas); Marlen Whitley, Esq., Associate, Thompson & knight LLP (Houston, Texas)_________________________________

FOCUS: THE BAR EXAM (MANDATORYATTORNEY LICENSING EXAM)

(Panel Discussion) African Americans and the Bar Exam: What It Tests, Where We Stand, and What It Really Takes to Pass This Necessary Hurdle to Earning Your License to Practice Law

Description: Panelists will discuss exactly what the bar examination is, what it tests, and the bar preparation courses, tutors, and materials avail-able. They also examine statistics regarding African American bar passage rates, and the real reasons why the bar exam presents such an obstacle for many African American law graduates in becoming licensed practicing attorneys. knowledgeable attor-neys provide concrete suggestions and advice on how Black law students can ensure that they pre-pare well, persist, and get the support they need to ensure they succeed on this critically important, high-stakes exam – the passage of which presents the final hurdle to becoming a full-fledged “attorney and counselor at law.”

Moderator: Ronda L. Harrison, Esq.,Attorney at Law (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Honorable Mason D. Barrett, Administrative Judge, U.S. Equal Employment Op-portunity Commission, Birmingham District Office (Birmingham, Alabama); Abimbola O. “B” Bu-koye, Esq., Associate, Jackson Walker (Houston, Texas); Deshonda Charles Tackett, Esq., At-

Description: This panel features African Ameri-can attorneys who have chosen to become self-employed legal entrepreneurs. They discuss the reasons why they started their own practices and what they did in order to learn how to successfully manage a law firm. They share both the positives and negatives of having one’s own law office, as well as the unique challenges and concerns African American solo and small firm practitioners face. Additionally, they recommend resources and orga-nizations to assist those who have the courage to choose this route.

Moderator: Carol Y. Guess, Esq., Principal, The Guess Firm, P.L.L.C. (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Shannon B. Baldwin, Esq., At-torney at Law (Houston, Texas); Robert A. Jones, Esq., Attorney at Law, Robert A. Jones, P.C. (Hous-ton, Texas); Kevin Kelley, Esq., Partner, kelley Witherspoon, LLP (Dallas, Texas, Tyler, Texas and Little Rock, Arkansas); Atonya McClain, Esq., Attorney, Law Offices of Atonya McClain, PLLC (Houston, Texas). Mellany L. McDonald, CPA, Esq., Attorney at Law, Law Office of Mellany L. McDonald, PLLC (Pearland, Texas and Houston, Texas)_________________________________

(Panel Discussion) The Road to In-House: How to Become an In-House Counsel at a Corporation

Description: This panel features African Ameri-can counsel for major corporations. They will openly discuss what they do as in-house counsel, and the paths they took in their legal careers in order to earn their current positions. This session is a “must at-tend” for any aspiring law student, law student, or lawyer who is interested in what it takes in order to become a lawyer for a corporation.

Panelists: Govinda Davis, Third-Year Law Stu-dent, Seton Hall University School of Law (Newark, New Jersey); Robert Elliott II, Third-Year Law Student, Valparaiso University School of Law; Na-tional Chairperson, National Black Law Students As-sociation, College Student Division (Valparaiso, indi-ana); Bianca D. Mack, Esq., Director of Diversity Services, George Mason University School of Law (Arlington, Virginia); Anthony D. Pledger, J.D., Multicultural Affairs Officer, Widener University School of Law (Wilmington, Delaware); Justin E. Pruett, Second-Year Law Student, Roger Williams University School of Law (Bristol, Rhode island); Marva Fa-bien, Esq., Director of Professional Development and Diversity, Willamette University College of Law (Salem, Oregon)__________________________________

FOCUS: RACE AND GENDER ISSUES

(Panel Discussion) The Double Minority:The Additional Challenges of Being Both Black and a Woman in the Legal Profession Description: Being Black in the legal profession is not easy, but Black women have certain additional issues they must face as well in not only dealing with racial stereotypes but also gender inequali-ties. This panel confronts the difficulties of life as a double minority, and provides suggestions as to how to deal with those sensitive issues with dignity and grace. There will also be a brief discussion of the American Bar Association reports HyPERLiNk “http://www.abanet.org/women/Visibleinvisibility-ExecSummary.pdf” “Visible invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms,” as well as HyPERLiNk “http://www.abanet.org/women/woc/VisiblySuccessful.pdf” “From Visible invisibility to Visibly Successful: Suc-cess Strategies for Law Firms and Women of Color in Law Firms.” Please review these reports prior to the discussion.

torney at Law (Houston, Texas); Jerome Coenic-Taylor, Esq., Attorney at Law, Protecting Legacies, LLC (Chicago, illinois); Jamila S. Mensah, Esq., Associate, Hunton & Williams LLP (Houston, Texas)_________________________________

FOCUS: THE JOB SEARCH/CAREERS

(Panel Discussion) Whose Job Is It to Get You a Job? How to Most Effectively Work With Your Law School’s Career Services Office

Description: Many incoming and current law stu-dents may have unrealistic expectations about find-ing a job and the role of the career services office at their law school. in this session, law school career services professionals will honestly discuss what the role is of the law school career services office, as well as the personal responsibilities of the law students seeking assistance with their job search. They will also provide strategies as to what law students can do to work most effectively with them. Further, they will discuss what types of things future law students can do prior to law school and once they become a law student to increase their chances of finding work opportunities as a law student, and successfully se-cure job offers once they graduate from law school.

Moderator: Michele Hayes, J.D., LL.M., Di-rector of Student Recruiting, University of Maryland School of Law (Baltimore, Maryland)

Panelists: Donna Davis-Gregory, J.D., Assistant Dean of Career Services, Thurgood Mar-shall School of Law (Houston, Texas); Ginna Gil-braithe, Esq., Director of the Career Resource Center, South Texas College of Law (Houston, Texas); Nikki Wise, Esq., Associate Director and Career Counselor, University of Houston Law Center (Hous-ton, Texas)_________________________________

Moderator: Eartha Jean Johnson, Esq., LL.M., Founder & President, LegalWATCH (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Anita Barksdale, Esq., Associate, Fulbright & Jaworski (Houston, Texas); Timberly Davis, Esq., Attorney at Law (Houston, Texas); Tamekia Goliday, Esq., Attorney, Goliday Law Firm (Jackson, Mississippi); Psonya Celeste Hackett, Esq., Staff Attorney, Mississippi Supreme Court (Jackson, Mississippi); Irene Oritseweyin-mi Joe, Esq., Assistant Special Litigation Counsel, Orleans Public Defenders (New Orleans, Louisiana)

(Panel Discussion) Black Men in the Legal Profession: Getting More of Us on the Other Side of the Law Description: it is widely publicized how a substan-tial number (one in four by some statistics) of Black men will be negatively involved in the criminal justice system and spend some time in jail during the course of their lives. in this panel, discussants will touch on the issues that Black men face in going to college, achieving in college, and then going on to law school and practicing law. The biases and prejudices that Black men in particular experience in law school and the legal profession, as well as the great need for higher Black male representation will be addressed. Panelists will consider ways to reverse these alarming statistics and interest more Black boys and men in wanting to become lawyers and interventions available to make sure that they achieve their goals.

Moderator: David E. Danner, Esq., Adjunct Professor of Business Law, College of Business, Ten-nessee State University; Grants and Contracts Spe-cialist, Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, Tennessee State University; Attorney-at-Law, Law Of-fice of David E. Danner (Nashville, Tennessee)

Panelists: Honorable Arthur L. Burnett, Sr., National Executive Director, National African Ameri-

(Panel Discussion) African AmericanLawyers: Different Career Paths andPossibilities

Description: Panelists will briefly discuss their edu-cational and career backgrounds, as well as their cur-rent positions and the work they do as lawyers. This panel is designed to expose aspiring Black lawyers to various possibilities available to those possessing a professional legal education. Additionally, tips will be given as to how to gain entry into these various jobs.

Moderator: DeMonica D. Gladney, Esq., Counsel, ExxonMobil (Houston, Texas)

Panelists:Honorable Arthur L. Burnett, Sr., National Executive Director, National African American Drug Policy Coalition, inc. (Washington, DC) (Various: Judi-ciary, Law Professor, Non-Profit); David E. Danner, Esq., Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Pre-Law Advisor, College of Business, Tennessee State University; Grants and Contracts Specialist, Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, Tennessee State University; Attorney-at-Law, Law Office of David E. Danner (Nashville, Tennessee) (Various: Higher Educa-tion, Research Administration, Solo Law Practice, and Business Entrepreneurship); Frederick Day, Esq., Corporate Associate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Houston, Texas) (Law Firm); Angel S. Harris, Esq., Staff Attorney, Orleans Public Defend-ers (New Orleans, Louisiana) (Public interest); Cour-teney Harris, Esq., Attorney, Aldine independent School District (Houston, Texas) (Education Law); Jacquelyn E. Stone, Esq., Partner, McGuire-Woods (Richmond, Virginia) (Law Firm Practice)_________________________________

(Panel Discussion) African AmericanAttorneys With Their Own Law Practices:The Challenges and Rewards of BeingLegal Entrepreneurs

Yolanda Ingram, Esq.Courteney Harris, Esq.

Mellany L. McDonald, CPA, Esq.

Kevin Kelley, Esq.

Sylvia James, Esq.Tamecia Glover Harris, J.D. Candidate

Reginald McGahee, Esq.Keith Lampkin, J.D. Candidate

Shirley A. Jefferson, Esq.Ronda L. Harrison, Esq.

Virgie Lemond Mouton, J.D.

Jamila Boozer Lloyd, Esq.

Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe, Esq.

Michele Hayes, J.D., LL.M.

Jimmi Nicholson, M.S.Bianca D. Mack, Esq.

Eartha Jean Johnson, Esq., LL.M.

Catina Haynes, Esq.

Jamila Patten, J.D.Monica B. Mason, JD, MBA

Robert A. Jones, Esq.Charles Holmes, Esq.

Kimberly R. Phillips, Esq.Atonya McClain, Esq.

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FOCUS: RELEVANT ISSUES -CHARACTER AND REPUTATION

(Panel Discussion) An Aspiring Lawyer’s Guide to Managing Your Reputation

Description: in a world of social media and the in-ternet, the line between public and private reputation has become blurred. How do you carefully navigate the tangled web of powerful search engines, people trackers, and databases that could reveal images, video, and commentary that might cast an unflat-tering light on an otherwise stellar academic record or professional resume? Each aspiring lawyer must take the essential steps to carefully manage his or her reputation. This session will explore the extensive criminal, financial, and social media background infor-mation that can be revealed (formally and informally) to law schools, prospective employers, or professional licensing entities about you with the stroke of a key-board. This session will provide participants with an overview of the methods and available resource tools to be proactive in discovering, managing, and protect-ing your own information, as well as the importance of truthfully addressing background history on employ-ment, law school and bar applications.

Moderator: Nydia D. Thomas, Esq., Deputy General Counsel, Texas Juvenile Probation Com-mission (Austin, Texas)

Panelists: Cheryl Roche Carter, Esq., Solu-tions Consultant, Advanced Government Solutions Group, LexisNexis (Houston, Texas); Lewis K. Harley, Esq., Senior Managing Attorney, Harley Law Firm (Houston, Texas); Eartha Jean John-son, Esq., LL.M., Founder and President, Legal-WATCH (Houston, Texas); Virgie Lemond Mou-ton, J.D., MS.Ed., Assistant Dean for Student Development, Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Houston, Texas)_________________________________

dates. Concrete suggestions regarding academic performance, college choice, extracurricular in-volvement and leadership, research opportunities, summer programs, work experiences, preparation for the LSAT, career exploration, and more will be discussed. it is very important for students to be strategic and to consider how they can make themselves the very best students and leaders well before filling out their law school applications. The advice imparted will help high schoolers learn how to stand out and shine whether or not they ultimately decide to pursue law school or another graduate/professional program or career choice.

Moderator: Angela L. Dixon, Esq., MBA, Attorney and Counselor at Law, Law Office of An-gela L. Dixon, PLLC; Adjunct Professor, Houston Community College, Adjudication Hearing Officer, City of Houston (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Jerome Coenic-Taylor, Esq., Attorney at Law, Protecting Legacies, LLC (Chi-cago, illinois); Catina Haynes, Esq., Associate, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. (Houston, Texas); Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe, Esq., Assistant Special Litigation Counsel, Orleans Public Defenders (New Orleans, Louisiana); Jamila S. Mensah, Esq., Associate, Hunton & Williams LLP (Houston, Texas) Honorable Oswald J. Scott, Jr., Attorney, Municipal Court Judge, Author, Speaker, Life Coach, (Houston, Texas); Nydia D. Thomas, Esq., Deputy General Counsel, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (Austin, Texas)

Moderator: DeMonica D. Gladney, Esq., Counsel, ExxonMobil Chemical Company (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Angela Birch Cox, Esq., Former Assistant General Counsel, Coca-Cola North Ameri-ca (Houston, Texas); W. Bernard Goudeau, III, Esq., Counsel, BP America inc. (Houston, Texas); Kimberly Phillips, Esq., Senior Counsel-Litiga-tion, Shell Oil Company (Houston, Texas); Sundria R. Ridgley, Esq., Associate General Counsel, Ra-dio One (Cincinnati, Ohio)_________________________________

(Panel Discussion) More Than the Traditional Practice of Law: What Law Grads Have Done With Their Legal Educations Beyond the Norm

Description: There are other career options avail-able to those who hold a law degree beyond the “traditional” practice of law. During this discussion, you will meet lawyers who have successfully pursued alternative paths. They will discuss what led them to alternative careers, how their legal training has proven to be an asset, and frankly address any of the obstacles they have encountered as lawyers in pursuing non-traditional careers.

Moderator: Jamila Boozer Lloyd, Esq.,Attorney (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: David E. Danner, Esq., Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Pre-Law Advisor, College of Business, Tennessee State University; Grants and Contracts Specialist, Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, Tennessee State Univer-sity; Attorney-At-Law, Law Office of David E. Danner (Nashville, Tennessee); Angela L. Dixon, Esq., MBA, Attorney and Counselor at Law, Law Office of Angela L. Dixon, PLLC; Adjunct Professor, Hous-ton Community College, Adjudication Hearing Officer, City of Houston (Houston, Texas); Psonya Celeste Hackett, Esq., MBA, Staff Attorney, Mississippi

FOCUS: LAW SCHOOL/PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PURSUIT DECISION MAKING (Panel Discussion) Is Law School Really Worth the Investment? (Or Why Do Some People Tell You NOT to Go to Law School): Addressing the Hard Questions about Why One Should Pursue Law School, Debt Bur-dens, the Marketability of the Law Degree, the Employment Landscape, and Others Description: There are several articles and popu-lar blogs that discourage potential law students from going to law school. Many give several reasons not to go to law school. The naysayers do have some valid points. in this session, attorneys will discuss some of these controversial considerations. in mak-ing such a serious commitment and life-altering de-cision, it is important to try to thoroughly understand and consider the reasons for and against going to law school. The goal of this session is to expose prospective law students to a variety of opinions regarding this. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the law school applicant to do their due diligence through rigorous research, talking to various people, weighing the pros and cons, and then making an educated decision for themselves about whether law school is the right next step of them for the career paths they envision for their futures.

Moderator: Ronda L. Harrison, Esq.,Attorney at Law (Houston, Texas)

Panelists: Honorable Arthur L. Burnett, Sr., National Executive Director, National African American Drug Policy Coalition, inc. (Washington, DC); Matthew O. Coward, Esq., Legal Counsel, TransCanada, U.S. Pipelines (Houston, Texas); Jim Harper, Esq., Special Litigation Staff Attorney, Orleans Public Defenders (New Orleans, Louisiana); Randle G. Raymond, Jr., Esq., Associate, An-drews kurth LLP (Houston, Texas)

Supreme Court; Adjunct Professor, Several Colleges and Universities (Jackson, Mississippi); Charles Holmes, Esq., Retired Professor and Director of the Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Program, Touga-loo College (Tougaloo, Mississippi); Eartha Jean Johnson, Esq., LL.M., Chief Executive Officer, LegalWATCH (Houston, Texas)_________________________________

FOCUS: CAREER CHOICE, LIFE/WORKBALANCE, AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT

(Workshop) “Life After” Your Law Degree:Optimizing Your Career in Conjunction With Your Life, Not in Spite of It

Description: This seminar is designed to provide participants with tools to evaluate, prioritize and set their life’s direction. The seminar uses a series of interactive exercises to aid in establishing realistic, achievable personal and professional goals, setting the methods for measuring goal achievement and success, and designing and implementing a workable action plan that will empower you to actualize your potential more effectively.

Participants will: Learn how their skills, values, inter-ests, and personal preferences impact professional satisfaction; Create an individual development plan; and Learn to integrate personal and professional strategies.

*** PLEASE NOTE: This is a highly interactive session. You will be expected to fully partici-pate. Please bring your laptop, or even your iPhone, iPad, or smart phone. ***

Presenter: Monica B. Mason, J.D., MBA, President & CEO, O.R.i., LLC (Washington, DC)_________________________________

(Panel Discussion) Baker Botts Presents “Three Things I Wish I Knew About Law School and the Legal Profession Before Ap-plying to Law School”

Description: Sylvia James, the Diversity Counsel for the international law firm of Baker Botts, will mod-erate a discussion in which each panelist will be asked to discuss the three things he/she wishes he/she had known about law school and the legal profession be-fore applying to law school. Learn valuable insights about law school and the profession from two highly successful African-American law firm partners - Joe Caldwell, Chair of the Washington, DC office litiga-tion department, and Connie Simmons Taylor, Deputy Chair of the Houston office Global Projects Depart-ment and the first African-American female partner in the firm’s history.

Moderator: Sylvia James, Esq., Diversity Counsel, Baker Botts LLP (Washington, DC)

Panelists: Joe R. Caldwell, Esq., MPA, LL.M., Partner, Chair, Litigation Department, Baker Botts LLP (Washington, DC); Consuella “Connie” Simmons Taylor, Esq., Partner, Global Projects, Baker Botts LLP (Houston, Texas)_________________________________

EARLY OUTREACH: FOR HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENTS ONLY!(LAW SCHOOL AND LEGALCAREER EXPLORATION)

(Panel Discussion) Preparation for Suc-cess Starts Today!: What You Can Do Now to Prepare to Become a Highly Competitive Law School Candidate (Strategies and Advice for Success in High School and College)

Description: This session provides insight on things high school students can begin doing now to prepare themselves to become competitive law school candi-

Hon. Oswald J. Scott, Jr.

Anthony D. Pledger, J.D.

Marlen Whitley, Esq.Consuella Simmons Taylor, Esq.

Jennifer Sims, J.D.Carla D. Pratt, Esq.

Lillie V. Wiley-UpshawNydia D. Thomas, Esq.

Jamila S. MensahJustin E. Pruett, J.D. Candidate

Patricia Wilson, Esq.Duane Tobias, Esq.

Jacquelyn Stone, Esq.Raymond G. Randle, Jr., Esq.

Veronica WilsonTravis Alexander Torrence, Esq.

Deshonda Charles Tackett, Esq.

Sundria R. Ridgley, Esq.

Nikki Wise, Esq.Diana N. Walker, Esq.

Aaron N. Taylor, Esq., Ed.D.

Elbert Robertson, Esq.

Victor V. Wright, Esq.Ivy Washington-Marshall, Esq.

Page 16: 2010 Edition of Black Pre-Law Magazine

events schedule

30 | NATIONAL BLACK PRE-LAW CONFERENCE BLACKPRELAW.COM/2010 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAM GUIDE NATIONAL BLACK PRE-LAW CONFERENCE | 31

Honorary Chairperson, Sixth Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair

Featured keynote Speaker: Conrad Johnson, Esq., Clinical Professor of Law, Columbia Law School (New york, New york)

10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Concurrent Workshop Sessions and University Center Panel Discussions Second Floor

(Panel Discussion) Mock Law School Admissions Committee University Center Ground Floor Cougar Den (Room 12)

(Panel Discussion) Start Out Ahead of the Game: University Center The Benefits of Participating in Law School Preparation Second Floor Programs Tejas (Room 238)

(Panel Discussion) Addressing the Law School University Center Admission Test (LSAT) Achievement Gap: keys to Second Floor Excellent Preparation for Earning the Scores that Law Spindletop (Room 242) Schools Expect from Competitive Applicant

Mock Law School Class (Wilson) University Center Underground Floor Atlantic (Room 74)

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Opening Keynote Luncheon

Special Guest: Hilton University of Houston Hotel Gene Locke, Esq., Partner, Andrews kurth LLP (Houston, Texas) and Conference Center Second Floor Featured keynote Speaker: Shamrock Ballroom karen Wishart, Esq., Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, TV One (Silver Spring, Maryland)

Featured keynote Speaker: kent D. Lollis, Esq., Executive Director for Diversity initiatives, Law School Admission Council (Newtown, Pennsylvania)

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. LAW SCHOOL RECRUITMENT FAIR University Center Second Floor Houston (Room 251) Governor’s Hall and Underground Floor Cougar Den (Room 12)

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Refreshment Break University Center Second Floor Governor’s Hall

4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshop Sessions/Panel Discussions University Center

(Panel Discussion) Three Things i Wish i knew About Law School University Center and the Legal Profession Before Applying to Law School Ground Floor Cougar Den (Room 12)

(Panel Discussion) How to Finance a Law School Education: University Center insider information on Loans, Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Second Floor Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (and Money Management Tips) Tejas (Room 238)

(Panel Discussion) Whose Job is it to Get you a Job? How to Most University Center Effectively Work With your Law School’s Career Services Office Second Floor Spindletop (Room 242)

Thursday, November 11, 2010TIME EVENT LOCATION (Some room assignments may be subject to change)

4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Registration University Center Underground Floor World Affairs Lounge (Room 50)

4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Welcome Reception/Meet & Greet University Center Underground Floor Refreshments will be served. World Affairs Lounge (Room 50)

5:10 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Pre-Conference Workshop/Power Session University Center Underground Floor Brief Orientation Mediterranean (Room 91)

Maximizing the Conference and Law Fair Experience

Questions & Answers

For Pre-Law Students ONLy!

6:10 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. Pre-Conference Workshop/Power Session University Center Underground Floor you Don’t know What you Don’t know: Learn the Rules Mediterranean (Room 91) and Play the Game

7:10 P.M. – 7:50 P.M. Pre-Conference Workshop/Power Session University Center Underground Floor Networking 101: Essentials to Building Strong and Lasting Mediterranean (Room 91) Relationships and a Loyal Following

8:00 P.M. – 8:55 P.M. Special Pre-Conference Workshop University Center Underground Floor (Workshop) Getting Everyone into Law School: Advice for Students Mediterranean (Room 91) With Below Average LSAT Scores or Low GPAs

Friday, November 12, 2010TIME EVENT LOCATION8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M. Complimentary Continental Breakfast/icebreakers University Center Second Floor Governor’s Hall

8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Registration University Center Second Floor Houston Room – Ticket Booth Governor’s Hall

9:00 A.M. – 9:50 A.M. Welcoming Ceremony/Keynote Speech University Center Second Floor Welcome Remarks: Houston (Room 251) Ronald Green, Esq., Controller, City of Houston (Houston, Texas);

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32 | NATIONAL BLACK PRE-LAW CONFERENCE BLACKPRELAW.COM/2010 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAM GUIDE NATIONAL BLACK PRE-LAW CONFERENCE | 33

(Workshop) LSAT Test-Taking Strategies Session University Center Underground Floor Sponsored by Bell Curves Atlantic (Room 74)

5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Group Photographs University Center Second Floor Photos in front of Step and Repeat Banner Governor’s Hall

5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Attorney-Mentor Training University Center Second Floor Tejas (Room 238)

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Networking Social/Mentorship Mixer University Center Second Floor Refreshments will be served. Houston (Room 251)

Saturday, November 13, 2010TIME EVENT LOCATION8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M. Complimentary Continental Breakfast/icebreakers University Center Second Floor Governor’s Hall8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Registration University Center Second Floor Houston Room – Ticket Booth Governor’s Hall9:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. Opening Keynote Speech University Center Second Floor Special Guest: Houston (Room 251) Daniella D. Landers, Esq., Chairperson, Racial Diversity in the Profession Committee, State Bar of Texas (Houston, Texas)

Featured keynote Speaker: Adrien katherine Wing, Esq., Professor of Law, University of iowa College of Law (iowa City, iowa)

10:15 A.M. – 11:15 A.M. Concurrent Workshop Sessions and Panel Discussions University Center

(Workshop) The Personal Statement and the Diversity Statement: University Center Similarities, Differences, Tips and Techniques Second Floor Houston (Room 251)

(Workshop) Financial Literacy University Center Second Floor Bayou City (Room 202)

(Panel Discussion) The Aspiring Lawyers Guide to Managing your University Center Reputation Second Floor Lone Star (Room 280) (Panel Discussion) Black Men in the Legal Profession: Getting More University Center of Us on the Other Side of the Law Second Floor Bluebonnet (Room 250)

(Panel Discussion) How to Choose the Best Law School for you University Center Underground Level Mediterranean (Room 91)

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. Concurrent Workshop Sessions and Panel Discussions University Center

(Panel Discussion) How the Admissions Process Works and University Center How to Make yourself a Competitive Applicant Second Floor Houston (Room 251)

(Panel Discussion) The Road to in-House: How to Become University Center an in-House Counsel Second Floor Bayou City (Room 202)

(Panel Discussion) More Than the Traditional Practice of Law: What University Center Law Grads Have Done With Their Legal Educations Beyond the Norm Second Floor Lone Star (Room 280)

(Workshop) Mock Law School Class (Robertson) University Center Second Floor Bluebonnet (Room 250)

12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Keynote Luncheon University Center Second Floor Special Guest: Houston (Room 251) Harrison Gregg, Jr., Esq., President, Houston Lawyers Association (Houston, Texas)

Special Guest: Angela Birch Cox, Esq., Chair, Board of Directors, Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) (Houston, Texas)

Featured keynote Speaker: Dennis Shields, J.D., Chancellor, University of Wisconsin Platteville (Platteville, Wisconsin)

1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Signature Event: Law School Admission and Preparation University Center Advice Help Clinic™ Underground Floor World Affairs Lounge (Room 50)

1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Signature Event: Personal Statement, Diversity Statement, Resume, University Center and Addendum Practical Assistance Session Underground Floor Mediterranean (Room 91)

2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. LSAT Test-Taking Strategies and Diagnostic Mock LSAT Exam University Center Second Floor Sponsored by Princeton Review Pacific (Room 90)

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshop Sessions/Panel Discussions University Center

(Panel Discussion) African American Lawyers: Different Career University Center Paths and Possibilities Second Floor Houston (Room 251)

(Panel Discussion) African Americans and the Bar Exam: What it University Center Tests, Where We Stand, and What it Really Takes to Pass This Second Floor Necessary Hurdle to Earning your License to Practice Law Bayou City (Room 202)

(Panel Discussion) The Double Minority: The Additional Challenges University Center of Being Both Black and a Woman in the Legal Profession Second Floor Lone Star (Room 280)

(Panel Discussion) The Challenges and Rewards of Law School, University Center and How to Best Prepare for A Successful Law School Experience Second Floor Bluebonnet (Room 250)

Mock Law School Class (Pratt) University Center Second Floor Atlantic (Room 74)

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Northeastern University School of LawPenn State University The Dickinson School of Law Phoenix School of LawRegent University School of LawRoger Williams University School of LawSaint Louis University School of LawSalmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky UniversitySeton Hall University School of Law South Texas College of LawSouthern University Law CenterSouthern Illinois University School of LawSouthern Methodist University Dedman School of LawSouthwestern Law School - Los AngelesSt. Mary’s University School of LawSt. Thomas University School of Law (Miami Gardens, Florida)Stetson University College of Law Suffolk University School of LawTemple University Beasley School of LawTexas Tech University School of LawThomas Jefferson School of LawTouro Law CenterTulane University Law SchoolUniversity of Akron School of LawUniversity of Alabama School of LawUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law University of Baltimore School of LawUniversity of California - Berkeley Boalt Hall School of LawUniversity of California, Hastings College of the LawUniversity of Colorado Law SchoolUniversity of Detroit Mercy School of LawUniversity of Houston Law CenterUniversity of Idaho College of LawUniversity of Illinois College of Law (Urbana-Champaign)University of Iowa College of LawUniversity of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of LawUniversity of Maryland School of Law University of Memphis School of LawUniversity of Michigan Law SchoolUniversity of Mississippi School of LawUniversity of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel HillUniversity of Notre Dame Law School University of Oklahoma College of LawUniversity of the Pacific McGeorge School of LawUniversity of San Francisco School of LawUniversity of St. Thomas School of Law (Minneapolis, Minnesota)University of Washington School of LawUniversity of Wyoming College of LawValparaiso University School of LawVanderbilt University Law SchoolVermont Law SchoolVillanova University School of LawWashburn University School of LawWestern State University College of Law Whittier Law SchoolWidener University School of LawWillamette University College of Law

Albany Law SchoolBaylor Law SchoolBoston University School of LawCalifornia Western School of LawCampbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of LawCardozo School of Law Yeshiva UniversityCase Western Reserve University School of LawThe Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law Chapman University School of LawCharlotte School of LawChicago Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of TechnologyCity University of New York (CUNY) School of LawCleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State UniversityConcord Law School, Kaplan UniversityCreighton University School of Law Cumberland School of Law, Samford UniversityDePaul University College of Law Emory University School of LawFlorida A&M University College of Law Florida Coastal School of LawFlorida International University College of LawGeorge Mason University School of LawGonzaga University School of LawHamline University School of LawHoward University School of LawIndiana University School of Law - IndianapolisLewis & Clark Law SchoolLouisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law CenterMercer University School of LawMississippi College School of LawMoritz College of Law, The Ohio State UniversityNew England Law l BostonNew York Law SchoolNorth Carolina Central University School of Law

Below is a listing of the Participating Law Schools for this year’s

2010 Law School Recruitment Fair:

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshop Sessions/Panel Discussions University Center

(Workshop) “Life After” your Law Degree: Optimizing your Career in University Center Conjunction with your Life, not in Spite of it Second Floor Houston (Room 251)

(Panel Discussion) Life as a Black Law Student: Coping with the University Center Additional Burdens of Racism and Prejudice, and Ways to Make Second Floor Positive Contributions in the Law School Environment and Legal Bayou City (Room 202) Work Setting

(Panel Discussion) is Law School Really Worth the investment? University Center (Or Why Do Some People Tell you NOT to Go to Law School): Second Floor Addressing the Hard Questions about Why One Should Pursue Law Lone Star (Room 280) School, Debt Burdens, the Marketability of the Law Degree, the Employment Landscape, and Others

(Panel Discussion) African American Attorneys With Their Own Law University Center Practices: The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Legal Entrepreneur Second Floor Bluebonnet (Room 250)

(Panel Discussion) Preparation for Success Starts Today!: What you University Center Can Do Now to Prepare to Become a Highly Competitive Law School Second Floor Candidate (Strategies and Advice for Success in High School and Atlantic (Room 74) College)

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Refreshment Break University Center Second Floor Governor’s Hall

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Closing Networking Social/Mentorship Mixer University Center Underground Level Refreshments will be served. World Affairs Lounge (Room 50)

Sunday, November 14, 2010TIME EVENT LOCATION8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Complimentary Continental Breakfast University Center Second Floor Governor’s Hall

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Mock Diagnostic LSAT Exam University Center Second Floor Sponsored by Princeton Review Bluebonnet (Room 250) and Bayou City (Room 202)

The National BlackPre-Law Network:Information, Resources, andSupport for Aspiring Black LawyersNationalBlackPre-LawNetworkP.O.Box631234|Houston,[email protected]

www.BlackPreLawNetwork.com

Thanks!Law School Recruitment FairUniversity of HoustonUniversity Center | Houston Room,Governor’s Hall & Cougar Den1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Meet with representatives from nearly 100 law schools from all over the country!

Page 19: 2010 Edition of Black Pre-Law Magazine

The Depth Of Our Experience

SPEAKS VOLUMES.

©2010 Baker Bot ts L .L .P.

For more details, visit www.bakerbotts.com

DEEPER UNDERSTANDING. BETTER SOLUTIONS.

“One of the Most Prestigious Law Firms in the World,”

2007 Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms

Each year, our firm grows stronger with the experience of an

increasingly diverse team. We firmly believe that diversity

among our lawyers and staff results in great service to our

clients and we promote diversity through recruitment, reten-

tion and employee development programs.

We have an unwavering commitment to diversity, and our

efforts have not gone unnoticed. For four consecutive years,

Multicultural Law magazine has recognized us as one of the

“Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity,” and in 2006, 2008 and

2009 it named us one of the “Top 25 Law Firms for Hispanic

Americans.” Additionally, in 2009 and 2010, we received a

perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Cam-

paign's Corporate Equality Index as one of the “Best Places

to Work for LGBT persons.”

Baker Botts is proud to sponsor the National Black

Pre-Law Conference.

A B U D A H B I

A U S T I N

B E I J I N G

D A L L A S

D U B A I

H O N G K O N G

H O U S T O N

L O N D O N

M O S C O W

N E W Y O R K

P A L O A L T O

R I Y A D H

W A S H I N G T O N