Attend our Welcome Reception in the Perrin Family Lobby at the School of Law to meet other workshop participants. After appetizers at the reception, small groups can go to dinner on their own in the Vista or elsewhere in downtown Columbia.

A continental breakfast will be provided in the Perrin Family Lobby. 

Robert M. Wilcox, Dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law, will discuss the importance of working together to build a pipeline of talent and diverse law students who prepared at our South Carolina located colleges and universities.

Advisors and educators will benefit from an understanding of the contemporary job market for law school graduates. Panelists will address topics including: what trends shape the graduate employment profile, both nationwide and in our state and region? What are some emerging roles and work settings for lawyers? How can students use job and salary information to inform their decision to invest in a legal education? Using South Carolina as an example, what can we project about the future needs and opportunities for the next generation of lawyers? How can lawyers fulfill their calling and professional responsibility to provide legal services to those in need in our communities?

PANELISTS: 

• David M. Ross, Executive Director, South Carolina Bar
• Betsy Goodale, Pro Bono Director, South Carolina Bar
• Susan Palmer, Associate Dean and Director of Career Services, University of South Carolina School of Law

Advisors and educators will learn more about the law school experience so they are prepared to discuss the experience with their students. Panelists will discuss issues and ‘pressure points’ that students could face as they move from college to law school.  They will suggest skills and positive behaviors that can be developed in college and then cultivated and enhanced to create a pathway to success in law school.  Panelists will describe how success is measured in the law school classroom and share techniques that law schools employ to provide academic and social support and promote well-being in their student populations.

MODERATOR: 

• Eboni Nelson, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of South Carolina School of Law

PANELISTS:

• Susan Kuo, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, University of South Carolina School of Law
• Lamar Fyall, Assistant Solicitor, Fifth Judicial Circuit
• Shelia Willis, Associate, Fisher & Phillips, L.L.P.

Participants will meet in small groups to discuss the topics addressed earlier in the morning and share ideas about how to use such information to inform and motivate students at their campuses.

A panel of experienced pre-law advisors will discuss how to manage typical advising topics including: 

1. Undergraduate Curricula Choices with Law School in Mind
2. Balancing Academics with Leadership and Extracurricular Activities
3. Community Involvement to Gain Experience and Contacts
4. Gap Year or Not? Timing the Law School Application
5. Overcoming Barriers to Success: Advising the Candidate with LSAT or UGPA Issues
6. Collaboration for Meaningful and Productive Programs and Events

MODERATOR:

• Mark S. Brown, Associate Director of Pre-Professional Advising, University of South Carolina

PANELISTS:

• Thomas D. Horan, Professor and Pre-Law Advisor, The Citadel
• Kathleen M. Nicolaides, Teaching Professor and Advisor of the Pre-Law Society, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Maya Russell, Pre-Law Advisor, Office of Pre-Professional Advising, Furman University

Admissions professionals will offer a look inside the law school admission process, exploring topics such as factors considered by law schools when making an admissions decision, recent changes in the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), and financing a legal education.

PANELISTS: 

• Karen Britton, Assistant Dean for Admissions, University of South Carolina School of Law
• Patti Johnson, Associate Director of Admissions, University of South Carolina School of Law
• Gisele Joachim, Director of LSAC Ambassadors, Law School Admission Council; former Dean of Enrollment Management, Seton Hall University School of Law
• Kamri Barber, Second-Year Student, University of South Carolina School of Law

Walk off your lunch, get rejuvenated for the afternoon, and see the new University of South Carolina School of Law on a tour led by South Carolina Law Student Ambassadors.

An abundance of free, online resources is available to assist prospective law students in preparing for the law school experience. These resources may help students prepare for the admissions process and taking the LSAT, explore various career paths in the legal field, recognize the importance of networking and professional communications to their success as a law school applicant and law student, and much more. Panelists will profile available resources that workshop attendees can recommend to their students and other influencers.

PANELISTS:

• Mark S. Brown, Associate Director of Pre-Professional Advising, University of South Carolina
• Thomas D. Horan, Professor and Pre-Law Advisor, The Citadel
• Kathleen M. Nicolaides, Teaching Professor and Advisor of the Pre-law Society, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Maya Russell, Pre-Law Advisor, Office of Pre-Professional Advising, Furman University.

Coffee and dessert available in the Perrin Family Lobby.

Participants will meet in small groups to discuss challenging advising scenarios they may encounter with students, either in informal settings or in formal advising sessions.

The workshop will end with a discussion of ways that we can work together to cultivate a diverse and talented student pipeline in South Carolina.