BYU students attended the Law Fair on Oct. 22 at the Wilkinson Student Center and had the opportunity to ask current law students and school representatives about admissions, curriculum, location and more.
This law fair sees success every year, bringing in many booths and about 300-400 attendees.
Kris Tina Carlston, director of the Pre-Professional Advisement Center at BYU, provides services to prospective law students and played a major role in planning the fair with other faculty in the advisement center.
She led a Law Fair Prep Night with the Pre-Law Student Association (PLSA) the evening before the fair. There she described the fair and some of the planning behind it.
“I love the law fair because you guys seem to love it,” Carlston said, addressing the students at the PLSA prep night.
At the prep event, she gave students examples of questions to ask representatives at the fair.
“I’m still in the beginning stages of wondering if I want to go to law school,” Cassie Burgess, a sophomore at BYU studying applied physics, said.
She said that she came to the fair to explore her options.
“I think it’s great,” Burgess said. “There are a lot of different schools.”
Jess Goodman, a representative for the George Washington University Law School, said she often gets repetitive questions at these fairs.
“It’s really important for us to get in front of you and make sure you’re getting all this information,” Goodman said.
She said the law fair circuit helps widen their pool of applicants. Many students, especially in Utah, never considered George Washington University Law School until they saw her booth.
“It’s a recruitment tool, you’re asking these questions, so we’re here to answer them for you,” Goodman said.
The Western Association of Prelaw Advisors has a caravan for school representatives to attend several law fairs in succession. They started at the University of Colorado Boulder on Monday and will move through Utah, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.
Law school representatives come from all over the country to attend these fairs. Meeting students at their own school helps the law school broaden their search.
“The law fair is your time to shop,” Carlston said to students at the prep night. “It’s super fun because you get to have conversations.”
Catheryn Cox, a junior at BYU studying international relations, attended the fair.
“I just want to browse a little bit,” Cox said.
She had questions about scholarships, admissions, post-grad opportunities and the vibe of the school.
Cox mentioned that she is the only person in her family planning to attend law school. She’s taken two student development classes from Carlston and said that they’ve been beneficial while she makes decisions on her future career.
“They’ve been super helpful,” Cox said. “She’s gonna help you figure out how you can accomplish your goals and help you figure out what’s important to you.”