Are you a student with a passion for law and a desire to make a difference? Look no further! There are so many powerful ways to gain law-related experience, knowledge and awareness through Pre-Law Advising, the Harpur Dean’s Office, Harpur Edge and The Fleishman Career Center. With a range of exciting opportunities tailored to aspiring legal eagles, you’ll be well on your way to shaping your career path in law. Let’s dive into the top law-related resources and opportunities you won’t want to miss:
- Our Pre-Law Advising office is dedicated to your success and offers a wealth of resources, information and guidance.
- Immerse yourself in the the Pre-Law Advising comprehensive website
- Sign up for the email listserv to learn about special programming, events and important deadlines to consider. This listserv is a gem, I assure you!
- Meet with the Pre-Law Advising to talk through your interests, questions, concerns or application materials.
- Attend the annual Bonzani Memorial Law Lecture. This year’s speaker is featuring alumna, Professor Kate Mogulescu ‘99. Professor Mogulescu directs the Criminal Defense & Advocacy Clinic, which she launched in 2017 when she joined the Brooklyn Law School faculty. Her work and scholarship focus largely on gender, sentencing and reentry issues in the criminal legal system, with a focus on gender-based violence, intimate partner abuse, sex work and human trafficking. Through the Survivors Justice Project, a grant-funded interdisciplinary collective, the Clinic works with people whose experience with abuse and violence led to their own criminalization and incarceration.
Before starting the Clinic, Professor Mogulescu worked as a public defender at The Legal Aid Society for 14 years. In 2011, she created the Exploitation Intervention Project to specifically represent both sex workers and victims of exploitation facing prosecution. She also founded and continues to lead the Survivor Reentry Project, a national training and technical assistance initiative on post-conviction advocacy for survivors of trafficking, and the Human Trafficking Clemency Initiative.
Professor Mogulescu offers critical analysis of carceral approaches to violence and harm. She has served as a speaker and specialist on human trafficking for the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section in India, and has also testified before the New York City Council, the New York State Legislature, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee. She regularly trains public defenders, prosecutors, and other members of the legal community and advocates extensively against the criminalization of vulnerable and exploited people. She is a member of the Freedom Network and on the steering committee of the New York Anti-Trafficking Network. Her scholarship has been published in numerous journals and law reviews including the University of Miami Law Review Caveat, the Florida Law Review, the CUNY Law Review, and the Anti-Trafficking Review. She has also been widely featured in popular media, including an op-ed in The New York Times in 2014 titled “The Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking,” and she has been profiled in The Guardian and The Village Voice.
When: October 10, 2024, 4:30 – 6:00 pm, Location: TBD
Connect with Harpur Edge to learn more about how to register and location of the event.
- Seize the chance to explore your potential path to law school at Law Day and register to participate in the Law Day Networking Breakfast. Connect with law school representatives over a complimentary breakfast followed by a traditional fair with law schools tabling for students interested in law.
Law Schools Admissions Fair: Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 11am – 2pm
Law Day Networking Breakfast: Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 9am – 10:30am
- LSAT study sessions will be offered weekly at Harpur Edge! Specific dates and times for study sessions will be announced on B-Engaged, so stay tuned!
- Harpur Law Council of Binghamton University The Harpur Law Council of Binghamton University is a collaboration between the Harpur Dean and Pre-Law Advising Offices to offer programming, internships, mentoring and funding opportunities for Pre-Law students and law alumni. The Council also works closely with law-related student organizations and clubs such as The Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society, Mock Trial and Moot Court to support their programs and tournaments.
- Winter Session Course, HARP 300, “Current Issues in Legal Practice” Elevate your legal knowledge with the Harpur Law Council’s unique Winter Session Course. Interact with successful Binghamton University law alumni in the NYC Metro area and learn about their experiences navigating recent cases and dilemmas facing the legal profession in the 21st Century. Topics for discussion will include intellectual property, bankruptcy, education law, mergers & acquisitions, anti-trust and competition, criminal prosecution and defense, plus securities, education law and more.
Prerequisites: none This one credit Pass/Fail course. You must attend all three sessions and complete a paper to receive credit.
When: January 2025
Where: The course will meet in person in NYC for all evenings. The three evenings will consist of lectures and discussions with Binghamton alumni.
How to register: students register through BU Brain once the winter session schedule of classes goes live.
- Harpur Law Council Public Interest Law Internship Program: Each summer the Harpur Law Council sponsors the Public Interest Law Internship Program for undergraduate juniors and seniors looking for first-hand experience in the practice of law in the public sector.
Who should apply?: Juniors and Seniors
Application Period: Spring 2025
- Harpur Law Council Private Sector Law Internship Program: The Harpur Law Council (HLC) Private Sector Summer Law Internship gives Binghamton juniors and seniors the opportunity to experience law in the private sector; to make informed decisions about the choice of a legal career, based on their own experience; to establish professional connections with HLC member attorneys and other BU law alumni; and will be paid by the firm or company to defray living and travel expenses during the internship.
Who should apply?: Juniors and Seniors
Application Period: Spring 2025
- Law School Tour and Women in the Legal Profession: Pre-Law students are invited to tour and attend an info session at Cardozo School of Law followed by an event with Binghamton Law Alumni. Pre-Law students will be bussed to Cardozo in Manhattan for a private tour and information session. Following the visit, students will be bussed to the SUNY Global Center in NYC to attend a panel discussion and networking event!
When: Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Free
Where: Cardozo School of Law and SUNY Global Center, NYC
Contact for more information: Leah Joggerst at ljoggerst@binghamton.edu
- Join the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society. Join a vibrant community that nurtures your legal aspirations. The Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society offers resources, workshops, conferences, and law school visits. Discover your identity and talents while preparing for your future.
- Develop your skills, build relationships and gain self-awareness by joining Mock Trial or Moot Court. Immerse yourself in the judicial system through simulated mock trials and appellate court simulations.
- Connect with Binghamton University Law Alumni using our online mentoring platform, Mentor Match. Conduct informational interviews using the platform to learn more about their career path and ask questions about their typical workday to get a sense of how a career in law might align with you.
Whether you’re drawn to advocacy, social justice, private practice or public service, these experiences will shape your career path that starts now. All of these resources and experiences are available to prepare you for success. Don’t wait! Plan your next steps now!