Students who are seriously considering law school got a chance to meet with advisers and admissions representatives at UNM's second annual Law Day.
Representatives from more than 50 law schools nationwide were on campus Saturday to answer questions regarding law school and ease the stress of students looking to someday practice law.
"This is a time for graduating seniors to check in before making this huge commitment of time, money, energy and intellectual passion," said Ellen Grigsby, manager of the College of Arts and Sciences advisement center. "But, it's also a time for freshmen and sophomores to learn more about the field and the process of entering law school."
Grigsby said several myths and uncertainties exist about law school, such as what LSAT scores are needed to gain admittance and what financial aid is available for law students in various parts of the country.
"It's important that students be as educated as possible to make informed decisions that affect their future," Grigsby said. "Graduating seniors rarely get the opportunity to ask the questions they want, and as a result they often opt not to follow their dreams. Law Day was designed to help them with just that."
Representatives from schools including Gonzaga, Notre Dame and Penn State participated in the event, which also had a mock admissions panel to provide the students with deeper insight into the admissions process.
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The panel's five admissions representatives gave their opinions of LSAT scores, GPA, personal statements and letters of recommendation.
"The mock admissions panel is a good opportunity to find out what admissions officers are looking for when they read a student's files," said Tamara Martinez-Anderson, assistant dean of admissions at the Gonzaga University School of Law.
Martinez-Anderson said Gonzaga is interested in Law Day because of the unique opportunity it provides students and the wealth of knowledge that is available to advance a person's chances of being admitted into law school.
UNM senior Wendell Chino said he attended Law Day to narrow down his choice of law schools by asking questions about the programs he was most interested in and to see where his personality fits best.
"Law Day made it easier for me to contact all sorts of different schools at once instead of trying to contact each one separately," Chino said.
Grigsby said she wanted to start the annual Law Day because the University has several pre-law students, and she wanted to make sure they were given every chance to succeed.
"We're a university that has committed itself to doing whatever it can for students," she said. "UNM realizes the future leaders of our country are being formed here; this is just one more way that we can aid them in their pursuit of greatness."
