Spring Break
Future lawyers tap legal resource
By: Jessica McCann
Issue date: 2/5/07 Section: News
"Because of LEGALS, not only am I prepared for law school, but I am already state-recognized and nation-recognized in the skills expected of a first-year law student," said Jama, who plans to start applying for law school in the fall.
Jody Rodenberg, a senior sociology major and a former LEGALS member, has already been through the application process and is awaiting notification from her top law school choices.
"I think, more than anything, participation in mock trial or moot court either reaffirms someone's decision to pursue law school or causes them to change their mind about going into the profession," Rodenberg said. "I've seen parts of real trials, and mock trial was definitely more dramatic than the cases I've experienced. Being on mock trial wasn't a significant factor on my applications, but I did include being on a team in my personal statement."
The membership of LEGALS is around 55 students, but not all members are able to compete. LEGALS is entirely student-run and does not have an administrative adviser. For this reason, LEGALS is not a University-authorized organization and remains largely unfunded by A&M. The annual budget of LEGALS is $1,000, compared to many other organizations' $15,000 operating budget, Jama said.
"We were very fortunate to get some of our nationals expenses funded by the Honors Department and by the Student Activities Fee, but we each had to purchase our own airplane ticket, which cost more than $300 a piece," Jama said. "We're hoping that with more members and more students who want to compete, we'll get the administration's attention for Aggies who are interested in law."
Jody Rodenberg, a senior sociology major and a former LEGALS member, has already been through the application process and is awaiting notification from her top law school choices.
"I think, more than anything, participation in mock trial or moot court either reaffirms someone's decision to pursue law school or causes them to change their mind about going into the profession," Rodenberg said. "I've seen parts of real trials, and mock trial was definitely more dramatic than the cases I've experienced. Being on mock trial wasn't a significant factor on my applications, but I did include being on a team in my personal statement."
The membership of LEGALS is around 55 students, but not all members are able to compete. LEGALS is entirely student-run and does not have an administrative adviser. For this reason, LEGALS is not a University-authorized organization and remains largely unfunded by A&M. The annual budget of LEGALS is $1,000, compared to many other organizations' $15,000 operating budget, Jama said.
"We were very fortunate to get some of our nationals expenses funded by the Honors Department and by the Student Activities Fee, but we each had to purchase our own airplane ticket, which cost more than $300 a piece," Jama said. "We're hoping that with more members and more students who want to compete, we'll get the administration's attention for Aggies who are interested in law."
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