Binghamton University will hold its annual Law Day on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
The Law Day consists of a law school fair from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m in the Mandela Room, followed by a panel discussion held from 3 to 4 p.m. made up of admissions officials from schools such as Duke University Law School and the University of Connecticut School of Law.
The representatives will speak about the admissions process and take questions from students.
“We try to get a diverse sample on the panel,” said John Appelbaum, BU’s pre-law adviser.
The fair portion of the event will host representatives from 79 law schools.
A full list of institutions attending is available on the Career Development Center’s website. The event is being co-sponsored by the CDC and the Pre-Law Advising Office. Several hundred students are expected to attend.
Appelbaum said students need not bring a résumé, because the fair’s purpose is for students to ask questions of law school representatives and see what programs they offer.
Attire is also more casual, according to Appelbaum.
“There’s no dress code for the event … I would say that students should look presentable,” Appelbaum said.
He suggested students prepare for the fair by devising questions to ask, on topics like the programs schools offer, student life and the admissions process.
“I encourage students to go and get the information straight from the representatives,” he said. “There are over 200 institutions in the U.S. and every school has their own policies about the process.”
Jami Goodman, a senior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, said she is looking forward to learning more about schools’ specific requirements.
“You can look schools up online but it’s better to ask representatives certain questions you have in person,” she said.
Law Day is open to everyone, regardless of year or major.
“For underclassmen, they’re really there to see what law school representatives are like and sort of make a decision to enter the legal profession,” Appelbaum said. “There’s no such thing as a typical law school applicant.”
Michael Wong, a senior earning a dual degree from Harpur College and the School of Management in accounting, financial engineering, political science and English, has attended past law days and said he also plans to attend this year’s fair.
“Law Day is incredibly helpful because even if you know where you are applying to, you can talk to the recruiters about things they would like to see on applications,” Wong said. “They’re also very honest and straight-forward with you, so it helps you learn more about the school than just reading it in a book.”
Holly Horn, the assistant director for career development at the CDC, said that going to Law Day in your freshman or sophomore year can help you plan out your college career and make you feel more comfortable at future law fairs.
“They feel like they know what to expect due to seeing the environment,” she said. “It’s a little anxiety reliever for them.”
According to Horn, students will fill out contact cards during the fair so they can get more information from law schools later.
“It always helps to put a name to a face,” Appelbaum said.
Horn suggested bringing address labels if possible, so as to save time when filling out contact cards for the schools.
To prepare for the fair, Goodman has made a list of the schools to which she is considering applying. But she said she plans to keep an open mind and check out any other schools that attract her interest.
Appelbaum said that going to the fair is crucial to helping students figuring out if law school is right for them, and if it is, to gather as much information as possible before applying.
“It’s a very important step in taking control of your own professional destiny,” Appelbaum said.
— Sophia Rosenbaum contributed reporting.