Prospective law students were welcomed to the University of Houston Law Center’s Spring Admitted Students Day with an inspiring theme, “Space City: Where Your Legal Dreams Take Flight.”
UHLC Dean Leonard M. Baynes addresses newly admitted law students.
UHLC Dean Leonard M. Baynes congratulated attendees on their acceptance into law school. “Getting into law school is a big deal. It’s a big deal for each of you, no matter what your background is, because you are starting your professional journey,” he said, adding “We are proud to be the law school for everyone, of every background. We are the school of possibilities and dreams.”
Baynes highlighted the success of legendary alumni like John M. O’Quinn, the namesake of the beautiful building where the event was held. A first-generation student, O’Quinn rose from humble beginnings – the son of a single parent who pumped gas for a living – to become a brilliant trial lawyer who won billions in settlements and cases. And he shared the story of Ruby Sondock, who initially dreamed of being “the best legal secretary” but went on to graduate as the class valedictorian and become the first woman to sit on the Texas Supreme Court.
“That’s what we are talking about with our graduates at the University of Houston Law Center, that’s the kind of possibilities that can happen — limitless possibilities,” Baynes said.
Experiencing UH Law Firsthand
Assistant Dean for Admissions Pilar Mensah underscored the importance of visiting the campus to get a true sense of the school’s environment. “It's critical for the students to get an idea of what law school will be like if they were to attend University of Houston Law Center and I think there's no better way to do that than to visit,” she said, adding that a true sense of a place can’t really be communicated through email, online or through a website.
“I hope that they come and feel as if this is going to be a good fit. I want them to be happy students and, ultimately, happy alumni who will come back and contribute to the community here at the Law Center,” Mensah said.
Attendees had the opportunity to meet UHLC faculty, staff, and students; gain insights from presentations covering everything from finding housing to finding internships and jobs and take a tour of the Law Center.
Associate Professor Daniel Morales conducted a mock constitutional law class to give admitted students firsthand experience of law school classes. He guided the discussion by posing thought-provoking questions, encouraging students to analyze the issues, implications, and ideas embedded in a pre-assigned case study.
Current UHLC students Morgan Billingsly (1L), Sandra Johnson (2L), Duncan Reedyk (2L) and Raisha Williams (3L/4L) shared their insights and experiences in law school, highlighting the importance of balancing academic and extracurricular activities with self-care, the difference between a part-time and full-time law program, study tips for success and post-law school career opportunities.
“Don’t just look at rankings of a school, you should also look at the alumni network,” shared Reedyk, who is also president of the UHLC chapter of the Student Bar Association. “We have alumni not just in Houston, but all over. Look at what the UHLC brand recognition can do for you.”
Located in Houston, the fourth largest and one of the most diverse cities in the U.S., UH Law offers students access to one of the nation’s biggest legal markets. Dean Baynes pointed out that 95% of last year’s graduates found employment across various legal fields, including big law firms, the district attorney’s office, public service, and even non-legal professions.
The attendees also heard from an alumni panel, which included Emma Brockway (J.D. ’21), associate attorney at Fisher Phillips LLP; Scott Ellis (J.D. ’06), managing partner at Foley and Lardner LLP; John Ngunjiri (J.D. & L.L.M., '21), associate attorney at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and Kelly Sandill (J.D. ’01), litigation partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.
“Really think critically about what you want to do,” Ellis said, adding students’ law school experience should be challenging and fun. “Be open to trying new experiences. Even the experience you hate is a great learning opportunity about what you don’t want to do.”
Other presenters included Emelia Alvear, assistant director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, Lisa Cohen, director of Student Affairs, and Paul Klinger, director for Career Development.
Klinger, who is also a UHLC graduate, spoke about how participating in the UH Law Center clinics helped his and others professional growth by providing students an opportunity to gain real-world legal experience. “Working in the clinics really energized me when I was a student,” he said. “Our clinical programs are very, very strong.”
He also shared other opportunities such as externships, internships, on-campus interviews with employers and more. Klinger said Career Development aimed to give students access and exposure to as many career options as possible while they were still in law school.
The overall message at Admitted Student Day was that faculty, staff and alumni work together to prepare UHLC students to be the next generation of legal minds and achieve success.
“We are there for our students, we want [them] to be as successful as they possibly can be in anything they do,” Baynes said. “We teach you to think like lawyers. That means writing more precisely, analyzing more rigorously, and advocating more persuasively. Most importantly what lawyers do is that they uphold the profession and the ethics of the profession.”
Original source can be found here.