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A group of alumni currently in law school recently returned to campus for a dinner panel discussion with current students. Helena Silverstein, professor of government and law and chair of the Legal Professions Advisory Committee, and Karen Clemence, senior associate dean of studies, moderated the discussion.
Panelists shared information about what courses and involvement at Lafayette helped them prepare for the rigors of law school. They also described what undergraduates can expect when pursuing law degrees. After the panel discussion, students talked with the panelists informally over dinner and dessert.
Participating alumni included government and law graduate Anthony Cacace’05, Brooklyn Law School; philosophy and government & law graduate Matthew Gately ’06, Columbia Law School; psychology and government & law graduate Allison Ligorano ‘06, Seton Hall Law School; philosophy and English graduate William Simmons ’04, Rutgers School of Law; government and law graduate Erich Struble ’05, Dickinson School of Law at Penn State; government and law graduate Tara Walsh ’06, Dickinson School of Law at Penn State; and history and government & law graduate Lori Weaver ’06, Penn Law.
Gately knows the benefits of some friendly advice from peers who have gone through the process.
“When I was thinking about law school, I felt that I received the best information on the process and tips from law students,” he says.
English and history double major Jessica Cygler ’07 (Scarsdale, N.Y.), who is applying to law schools, believes the dinner discussion was a success.
“This panel gave me additional information to supplement what I’ve gotten from the dean of studies and from my own application experience. As a senior, I really valued the information about how to prepare for exam writing, something that I’ll be doing before long,” she says. “They also gave specific recommendations of the books they found useful to their studies, and I plan to pick at least one of those books up before I begin law school.”
Gately believes Lafayette gave him the tools needed for his current experience at Columbia University.
“Part of thinking like a lawyer is thinking logically,” he says. “At Lafayette, I took many classes in both the philosophy department and the government and law department that honed my logical thinking ability.”
Undergraduate students who attended the event include Matthew Aaron ’10 (Manhasset, N.Y.), Lauren Bedard ’08 (Longmeadow, Mass.; government and law), Elese Berk ’10 (Huntingdon, N.Y.), Megan Catli ’08 (Rochester, N.Y.; international affairs and Spanish), Alisa Chapla ’09 (Honesdale, Pa.; government and law), Lindsay Davis ’10 (Marlboro, N.J.), Kyle deCant ’10 (Orange, Conn.), Simon Dilmanian ’10 (Hamburg, Germany), Corrinne Donohue ’10 (Commack, N.Y.), Alison Flowers ’07 (Dillsburg, Pa.; international affairs and Spanish), Michael Hohenadel ’08 (Elizabethtown, Pa.; government and law), Roxanna Kobziar ’08 (Pelham, N.Y.; international affairs and government & law), Colin Lancaster ’09 (Pottstown, Pa,; international affairs), Christopher LaTempa ’10 (Pompton Plains, N.J.), Adam Lessen ’10 (Dresher, Pa.), Kaela Mahon ’09 (Setauket, N.Y.), Alison Malloy ’10 (Staten Island, N.Y.), Matthew Mimnaugh ’10 (Fair Haven, N.J.), Kimberly Moogalian ’10 (Norcross, Ga.), Meave Murphy ’08 (Wayland, N.Y.; international affairs), Brendan O’Dea ’07 (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; mechanical engineering), Jason Pang ’10 (San Mateo, Calif.), Yi Peng ’09 (Palmyra, Pa.; mathematics-economics), Adam Pie ’09 (Doylestown, Pa.; history), Amy Polizzano ’08 (Bethlehem, Pa.; English and government & law), Haley Schaefer ’07 (Hamden, Conn.; English), Jamie Schairer ’07 (Egg Harbor City, N.J.; government and law), Heather Slugaski ’09 (Woodbridge, Conn.; government & law and foreign language), Paul Sommers ’09 (Wenonah, N.J.; history), David Stamm ’08 (Holland, Pa.; government and law), Quinn Taurman ’09 (Potomac, Md.; economics and business), and Kristen Tyler ’10 (Rancho Palos Ve, Calif).