Pre-law club provides aide to aspiring lawyers

By Alyssa Tomasello

Santa Clara University Pre-Law Club is a brand new club on campus. Created this year, it is intended to serve as a resource for all undergraduates who are interested in the legal system.

This club, lead by President Dan Pursley and Vice President Nicholas Rotas, specializes in getting information to students who are interested in applying to law school, pursuing a future career in law or even for those who just want to check the club out.

Dan Pursley, the founder of Santa Clara's Pre-Law Club decided to create this club because he figured that at some point in his life he would end up being a defendant, so he might as well learn the law.

"I decided to start this club because I have been considering law school and I started looking around for resources and information on the application and LSAT," Pursely said. "There was a lot of information but it was pretty difficult to find it. So I started talking to people and I found it weird that Santa Clara had its own Law School and undergraduate school, but no pre-law club run by students."

One of the main purposes of this club is to create a network for undergraduate students to interact with the Santa Clara School of Law. By providing an outlet for students to meet with professors and other administrators, it will allow the students to gain a greater understanding of what is ahead of them.

Also, this will provide an inside look at the process of applying to law school. This process is typically extremely stressful and the hopes of the club are to create an avenue for students to turn to.

"Our general goal is to get people the info they need about whether they want to pursue a legal career," Pursley said. "Most importantly we want people to have a realistic idea of what they are getting into."

Various goals of the club include monthly meetings with guest speakers such as professors of the Law School who will talk about what steps to take and how to be successful. The guest speakers will provide an inside view and be able to guide the members in the right direction.

"In the future we are looking to bring in practicing attorneys to talk about what they really do on a daily basis. This way people will realize what being a lawyer truly entails," says Pursely.

"Also we are looking forward for the opportunity to host social events," Pursley states. "An upcoming event will feature one of the admissions coordinators of Santa Clara School of Law hosting an application workshop. This will be a great event, open to any club members who need some guidance."

Another incredible benefit of this club is that members will receive potential discounts of LSAT courses and books from Kaplan. Moreover, the students will be able to meet people whom they can study with for the LSAT.

This is one of the most important aspects of the club as it gives members a sense of community, providing camaraderie and encouragement through this difficult process.

Although brand new, this club, which has its own Facebook page, already has over 120 members.

"I think that there is definitely a lot of interest." Pursley said. "To be honest, I was really shocked when we first sent out the Facebook info -- we sent it out to over 1000 Santa Clara students and within the first 24 hours I already had 50 responses. It blew up really quick, so I guess we must be doing something right."

It is no doubt that the students are going to utilize this club.

"I am very excited that this is a new club on campus. I am very interested in pre-law and I think this is a great way to help me get started," Matt Perry, a sophomore political science major said. "I think that it is going to be an ideal way for me to start networking early, and hopefully create connections that will bridge the transition from Santa Clara to law school."

Perry and other students are very excited about the presence of this club on campus. Moreover, the club has already gotten the attention of students still unsure what to do in the future.

"Although I am undeclared, I have always had an interest in going to law school after I graduate." Jenna Saso said. "The opportunities presented by this club are just another incentive for me to get involved."

This club provides an outlet for students and a means to prepare for their futures.

"As a freshman I had no idea what to do or how to prepare for law school," Jenny James, a freshman political science major, and daughter of two lawyers said. "I am excited to become a part of this club because I believe that it will give me an advantage when the time comes to start applying."

In order to get involved, contact dpursley@scu.edu or join the Facebook page: Santa Clara University Pre-Law Club. There is prospective that the success of this club being impactful. Pursley and Rotas will surely see the legacy of their club extend on for years to come.

Contact Alyssa Tomasello at atomasello@scu.edu or at (408)554-1918.