The first print issue of Policy Voice (published spring 2010) is now available right here on our blog! Just click on the ‘Newsletter Editions’ tab at the top of the page to view it. If you prefer the real thing, you can pick one up at either Admissions or Professor Fulco’s office (McCook 210) during her office hours. Enjoy!
If you’re a junior and planning to apply to law school in the fall of 2011, get started!
Between now and the fall, there are only two LSATs administered- one in June and one in October. If you didn’t take the February LSAT, it might be a good idea to prepare in time for the June test so you have a chance to raise your score in October just in case you’re not satisfied the first time around.
June 6, 2011 test- Register by May 3rd
October 1, 2011 (or October 4, 2011 for Saturday Sabbath observers)- Register by August 30th
Preparation:
Many of us are fantastic test-takers, and if you went to public school like I did, that skill was reinforced countless times. However, the LSAT is not the SAT, the Regents exams, or the APs- you must prepare extensively to do well.
Kaplan offers an LSAT class on campus for those prepping for the June test. The class starts on March 28th and meets Mondays and Wednesdays until May 16th. The cost of the class is $1,399.00. Click here to sign up.
There are also a variety of LSAT prep books available if you’d rather study independently or if the cost of a Kaplan class is prohibitive. A comprehensive list of beginner’s books can be found here.
For guidance regarding law school admissions, schedule an appointment with Rachel Gerrity in Career Services (located in the Admissions building). Appointments are available daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM in 30-minute blocks. To schedule, call 860-297-2080 or email career-services@trincoll.edu
Best of luck to everyone!
University of Chicago Law, home to then-Professor Obama for twelve years, takes the top spot.
For the full list, as well as more law school stats, click here.
Professor Fulco recently brought to my attention that the Bard Center for Environmental Policy has a new Masters program in Climate Science and Policy. If you’re not familiar with Bard, it’s in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY (downstate, 100 miles up the river from NYC).
Here’s how they describe their new program:
“Bard’s new program is one of a handful in the country with a rigorous masters curriculum that interweaves climate science, environmental and natural resource economics, and climate law and policy. Bard’s program prepares graduates for careers facing the profound challenges of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Bard’s program covers all aspects of climate science and policy, but includes a unique focus on the agriculture and ecosystem impacts of climate change. Program faculty manage a 90-acre farm that serves as a research and teaching laboratory, and scientists from the world class Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies also teach in the program. In their second year, students participate in a 4-6 month extended internship, gaining critical on-the-job experience.”
Seniors: The deadline to apply for the fall is March 15th, so get going on that personal statement!
Bard Center for Environmental Policy gives merit and need-based grants.
If you’re interested, visit their website here: http://www.bard.edu/cep
Amanda Sweat (’12)
Connecticut’s Capitol Building, Hartford
Janice Brea (’12) and Amanda Sweat (’12) founded the Trinity College branch of the American Civil Liberties Union just this year in an effort to increase awareness of civil liberties issues on campus. In keeping with this goal, they hosted Juan Melendez earlier this year, a human rights activist and former Death Row inmate of 17 years, who spoke about the judicial system and his experience being wrongly convicted of murder. This past week, the group had another big event- the ACLU of Connecticut’s first annual Lobby Day.
Members traveled downtown to the Capitol Building for a crash course in effective advocacy and subsequent participation in actual lobbying of state legislators. Throughout the day, students and citizens from the surrounding area advocated for various issues, including the abolition of the death penalty, the legalization of medical marijuana, the decriminalization of marijuana, transgender and gender equality issues, and the use of safe taser techniques.
The program began with a moving speech by Shujaa Graham, a former death row inmate who called for an end to capital punishment. His story of incarceration demonstrated the pitfalls of the current death penalty system and the frequency with which it condemns innocent men to an irrevocable punishment. With this heart-wrenching account of the horrors of capital punishment as a reminder of the ultimate mission of the day, the ACLU then gave a short presentation on effective lobbying techniques before sending volunteers to persuade representatives and senators to vote in favor of these important issues. While unable to formally speak with any representatives, the Trinity students spoke with staff members and gained insight into the inner workings of our local legislature and how lobbying is successfully performed. Students also observed the successes of other attendees and were able to get a sense for how ordinary citizens can have a voice in state politics.
The ACLU of Trinity College works closely with the Connecticut branch of the ACLU and plans to hold on-campus events within the coming months concerning the recent repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the current debate pending in Connecticut regarding In State Tuition for Children without Immigration Documents. For more information on how to get involved, check back with the Policy Voice for updates or email acluofct@gmail.com.
This weekend is the February LSAT, so I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to wish everyone good luck and offer some advice from the June and October LSAT students!
1. Don’t Panic. The LSAT is a high pressure test, but you can always re-take it if you’re not happy.
2. Please Stop. Do NOT do any practice questions after Thursday. If you’ve been studying consistently, you will be fine. If not, you can’t study for the LSAT in two days, so it might be more effective to eat as much of these foods as possible.
3. Distract Yourself. See a movie the night before with your friends! (Remember them?) You probably need to be distracted to truly relax.
4. Scout. If you’ve never been to the test site before, drive there one or two days in advance so you know exactly how to get there and how long it takes. This will reduce your anxiety the morning of.
5. Snacks on Snacks. The LSAT will suck every last bit of energy from you by the time you hit the second section, so make sure you bring something to eat during the break that will sustain you- Candy is not a legitimate snack.
6. Dress in layers– it’s important that you be comfortable throughout the exam so you can focus solely on the test no matter what the temperature in the room is.
7. Move on. If you feel like a section went poorly, put it out of your mind immediately and focus on the next section. If you are preoccupied with it throughout the rest of the test, or if you rush to try to have time to flip back and fix your answers, you will do more harm than good.
Good luck everyone!
Thanks to Zoe Bartholomay, Zachary Green, Stephen Gruendel, Chelsea Hanse and Daniel Patterson for sharing advice.
