2015 PCAPLA Conference Schedule At-A-Glance

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Embassy Suites - Walnut Creek
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Stanford Law School
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Santa Clara Law
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Golden Gate University School of Law
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University of California Hastings College of the Law
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University of San Francisco School of Law
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University of California at Davis King Hall School of Law
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University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
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University of California at Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law
Subject to Change

Weather - Please see the National Weather Service Forecast.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Embassy Suites Walnut Creek
1345 Treat Boulevard, Walnut Creek, CA, 94597 | Map & Directions | No Self-Parking, Self-Parking, $22.00 Valet Parking

3:00 PM - 8:00 PM     Conference Registration
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM     Opening Reception

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Embassy Suites Walnut Creek
1345 Treat Boulevard, Walnut Creek, CA, 94597 | Map & Directions | No Self-Parking, $22.00 Valet Parking
7:15 AM - 8:45 AM Bus Ride to New Advisor Workshop
8:00 AM - 9:45 AM   Conference Registration

10:10 AM - 11:45 AM Bus Ride to Stanford Law School
Crown Quadrangle, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA 94305-8610 | Map & Directions | Pay to Park in Parking Structure 6

9:00 AM - 12 Noon     New Advisor Workshop, Rodia Vance, SAPLA President and Emory University Pre-Law Advisor; Gwyn Wallander, PLANC Chair and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Senior Pre-Law Advisor. New and relatively new pre-law advisors will benefit from this three hour overview of the art of pre-law advising.  Among the topics being covered are: establishing your presence on campus, building relationships with law schools, letters of recommendations, LSAT test preparation options, personal statements and resumes, creating your LSAC prelaw advisors account, LSAC resources and pre-law advising as a profession. (Room 280A)
12 Noon - 12:30 PM   Welcome and Tour, Faye Deal, Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid, Stanford Law School
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM   Lunch (Crocker Garden)
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM     Plenary - LSAC Update, Vivian Bowden, LSAC Executive Director for Education, Prelaw Programs, and Member Support Services. Vivian Bowden will provide the most recent updates from LSAC and will review the current test taking, application and enrollment trends based on the 2014-2015 admission cycle data. (Room 180)
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM     Concurrent Sessions
  • Veterans in Law School and Beyond, Lee Anne Masetti-Martin, Patent Attorney Recruiting Manager, Morrison & Foerster; Dustin Noll, Office of Military Affiliated Communities (OMAC) Specialist, Stanford University.  As pre-law advisors, you’ve had conversations with your veteran student population about the possibility of attending law school.  What are the critical issues that are unique to this population?  What should they be thinking about as they put together their applications?  How does their particular skill set translate into being a successful law student and then a successful lawyer?  This panel will offer insights on how we can best serve this population. (Room 280A)(R
  • Experiential Learning , BBryan Adamson, Associate Professor of Law at Seattle University; David Kirschner, Director of Admissions at USC Gould School of Law; Nancy Stuart, Clinical Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Experiential Learning at UC Hastings College of the Law; and Bryan S. Zerbe, Sr. Associate Director of Admissions, UC Hastings College of the Law. Law schools have responded to the legal profession’s desire for practical skills training by offering clinics as part of the curriculum.  This panel will highlight the kinds of clinical opportunities available to students and how clinical offerings are evolving in response to changes in the legal profession. (Room 280B)  

3:25 PM - 4:00 PM Bus Ride to Santa Clara Law
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053 | Map & Directions | Free Parking | Wireless

4:00 PM to 4:30 PM Welcome and Tour, Bryan Hinkle, Assistant Dean, Law Enrollment Services, Santa Clara Law (Bannan 127)
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM     Concurrent Sessions
  • And the KAPLAN Survey of Law School Admissions Officers Says....Talin Broosan, Director of Admissions, UCLA School of Law; Matthew Dillard, Assistant Director of Admissions, The George Washington University School of Law; Glen Stohr, Kaplan Test Prep; Anne Richard, AMRichard Consulting. This session will discuss successful ways to help students build a partnership with the admission and student financial aid officers of a law school.For the past several years, Kaplan Test Prep has conducted a survey of law school admissions officers. In this session, the 2014 survey results will be revealed and pundits (law admissions officers) will provide commentary and discussion. (Bannan 127)
  • 2+2+3 Programs, Bryan Hinkle, Assistant Dean, Law Enrollment Services, Santa Clara Law. The 2 + 2 + 3 project, launched in May of 2014, is sponsored by the State Bar of California’s Council on Access and Fairness. The program is expected to draw a more diverse set of prospective students to the legal profession by tapping 24 community college students from low-income backgrounds.
    Participating law schools are, the University of San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Davis, UC Irvine, USC and Loyola. The new initiative will provide individual advising and mentoring, financial aid  counseling, access to law school faculty, tutoring for entrance exams and a waiver of law school
    application fees. How has the past year been? (Bannan 241)

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM     Dinner (Adobe Lodge)
6:45 PM - 8:00 PM     Social Event

Thursday, June 11, 2015

7:15 AM - 8:45 AM Bus Ride to Golden Gate University School of Law
536 Mission Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 | Map & Directions | No Visitor Parking, Try
sanfrancisco.bestparking.com

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM     Breakfast
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM   Tour, Angela Dalfen, Associate Dean, Admissions, Golden Gate University School of Law
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM     Concurrent Sessions

  • Teaching Innovations and Law School Curricula Reform, Wes Reber Porter,  Associate Professor of Law and Litigation Center and Trial and Evidence Program Director, Golden Gate University School of Law. Professor Porter will provide an overview of law school curricula reform and law school teaching innovations. This session will assist pre-law advisors in advising their students on how law schools are adapting and changing. (Room 2203, Ceremonial Moot Courtroom)
  • The World Needs Ditch Diggers Too: Beyond the Nuts and Bolts of Pre-Law Advising, Douglas R. Hume, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Pre-Law Advisor, Azusa Pacific University; Miguel Moran-Lanier, Pre-Law Advisor, UC Santa Barbara. Should pre-law advising go beyond application tips, financial aid advice and providing the date for the next LSAT?  We do our students a disservice if we do not help them explore their true motivations for attending law school and assist them in considering law as not just a profession, but a calling.  (Room 2201)

11:10 AM  - 11:25 AM Bus Ride to University of California Hastings College of the Law
198 McAllister, San Francisco, CA 94102 | Map & Directions | Pay to Park | Wireless

11:30 AM - 12 Noon   Tour, Bryan Zerbe, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, University of California Hastings College of the Law
12 Noon - 1:00 PM     Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM     Concurrent Sessions

  • Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admissions Process, Tom McColl, Associate Dean for Enrollment Management and Administration, Whittier Law School. The importance of integrity, candor, and disclosure in the law school admissions process is stressed on law school applications, at on-campus events, and in advising sessions.  What happens when a student is reported for impropriety during an LSAT exam or information is omitted from an application? (Classroom A)
  • Post-Fisher:  Discussing Contributions to Diversity in Law School Applications, Jermaine Cruiz, Director of Admissions, University of the Pacific McGeorge College of Law; Elisabeth Steele Hutchison, Director of Admissions, University of Hawai'i at Manoa | William S. Richardson School of Law; Jay Rosner, Executive Director, The Princeton Review Foundation. The Supreme Court didn't use Fisher to kill affirmative action, at least not yet; however, the future of affirmative action is uncertain. This panel will review recent affirmative action legal activity (Fisher, Harvard, UNC, etc.) and engage the attendees in a practical exercise about advising applicants with diverse backgrounds. (Classroom B)
    • Post-Fisher:  Discussing Contributions to Diversity in Law School Applications, Jermaine Cruiz, Director of Admissions, University of the Pacific McGeorge College of Law; Elisabeth Steele Hutchison, Director of Admissions, University of Hawai'i at Manoa | William S. Richardson School of Law; Jay Rosner, Executive Director, The Princeton Review Foundation. The Supreme Court didn't use Fisher to kill affirmative action, at least not yet; however, the future of affirmative action is uncertain. This panel will review recent affirmative action legal activity (Fisher, Harvard, UNC, etc.) and engage the attendees in a practical exercise about advising applicants with diverse backgrounds.

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM Bus Ride to University of San Francisco School of Law
2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-1080 | Map & Directions | Free Parking, Kendrick Hall Parking Structure, situated underneath Kendrick Hall (marked KN on the campus map). Participants can park in any unmarked spaces. Please note that the parking lot has two levels and to travel between levels, you must fully exit the lot to access the driveway to the next level. The Kendrick driveways are immediately adjacent to one another on Shrader Street. | Wireless

2:45 PM - 3:15 PM     Tour, Alan Guerrero, Senior Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, University of San Francisco School of Law
3:20 PM - 4:00 PM     Concurrent Sessions

  • You Catch More Flies with Honey…Helping Students to Better Communicate, Nathan Neely, Associate Director of Admissions, University of Houston Law Center; Colin Paterson, Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, University of San Diego School of Law.  In this panel discussion with seasoned admissions officers and pre-law advisors we will discuss our experiences in communicating with prospective students throughout the admissions process and give suggestions for how students can communicate with admissions offices more effectively. We will discuss issues that arise throughout the admissions process from fee waiver requests to scholarship “negotiations” to surviving the waitlist and beyond. Bring your questions and horror stories and be ready for a lively discussion. (Moot Courtroom)
  • Financing Your Legal Education, Alan Guerrero, Senior Director of Admissions and Financial Aid,
    University of San Francisco School of Law; Amy Tien-Gordon, Managing Director of Need Access and Member Services, Access Group.     L    aw school is an important investment. Making informed decisions about how to finance that investment will affect your student’s future financial circumstances. It is important students know all their options to prepare accordingly. Session will focus on understanding the costs of pursuing legal education, describing the financial aid application process, reviewing the available financing options and identifying ways to be financially prepared. (Room 102)

4:15 PM - 6:30 PM     Reception and Dinner (Fromm Hall)
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM     Social (Fromm Hall)

Friday, June 12, 2015

7:15 AM - 8:45 AM Bus to University of California at Davis King Hall School of Law
400 Mrak Hall Drive, Davis, CA 95616 | Map & Directions | $9 Visitor Pass in Gateway Parking Structure

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM     Welcome and Breakfast, Kristen Mercado, Assistant Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, University of California at Davis King Hall School of Law (King Hall Courtyard)
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM   Tour
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM  Concurrent Sessions

  • Advising First Generation and Low-Income Pre-Law Students, Scott Vignos, Associate Director of Admission and Outreach, University of California at Davis King Hall School of Law; Kory Hawkins, Associate Director of Admissions, University of California Hastings College of the Law; Grace Kim, Counseling & Programs, University of California, Berkeley.  Applying to law school can be a daunting process for first generation and low-income students amplified by a lack of access to networks familiar with the application process.  This panel will identify unique challenges faced by  first generation and low-income students and discuss strategies for successful advising. (Room 1001, Kalmanovitz Moot Courtroom)
  • Goin' Back to Cali: Out of State Law Students Return to CA to Practice, Lawrence Seno Jr., Assistant Dean of Admissions, University of Oregon School of Law, Moderator. Should I stay or should I go? is a question in the minds of many California students concerned that if they go to school out of state, it will be impossible to return for practice. A panel of graduates from Oregon law schools share stories of their journeys back home. (Room 1301, Wilkins Moot Courtroom)
11:05 AM - 11:40 AM Bus to University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
Sacramento Campus, 3200 Fifth Ave., Sacramento, CA 95817 | Map & Directions | Free Parking | Wireless

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM    Welcome and Tour, Tracy Simmons, Assistant Dean, Admissions, Diversity Initiatives & Financial Aid, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law (Lecture Hall)
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM      Lunch (Grand Salon)
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM        Concurrent Sessions

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm. Please. Professionalism in the Admissions Process, Carol Cochran, Assistant Dean for Admission, Seattle University School of Law; Jannell Lundy Roberts, Assistant Dean for Admissions,  Loyola Law School, Los Angeles; Lawrence Seno Jr., Assistant Dean of Admissions, University of Oregon School of Law. Having a conversation with millennials and today’s prospective law students about professionalism in the admission process, can be like explaining black and white movies. This session will discuss successful ways to help students build a partnership with the admission and student financial aid officers of a law school. (Classroom A)
  • The LSAT Experience: Mechanics of the Law School Admission Test, Autumn Jimpson, Marketing Coordinator, TestMasters; Glen Stohr, Kaplan Test Prep. The LSAT Experience will give attendees a first-hand look at the LSAT, question types, scoring scales, its utility and common mistakes students make when undertaking preparation. The session will arm advisors with critical information about one of the most important - and most misunderstood - parts of the application process. (Classroom B)

2:05 PM - 3:45 PM Bus to University of California at Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law
Boalt Hall, 2778 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-7200 | Map & Directions | Parking, Metered, On-Street Parking, or a local parking lot | Wireless

3:45 PM - 4:15 PM     Welcome and Tour, Kristin Theis-Alvarez, Associate Director of Admissions, University of California at Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law (Kroeber Fountain, the corner of College Ave and Bancroft Way, across from Cafe Strada)
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM     Plenary Session - Deans' Round Table. Join the Admissions Deans from our host law schools for an insightful panel discussion about law school admissions.  They will share their perspective and give their best advice for guiding students through the law school application process. (Room 110)
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM     Rooftop Reception (above Cafe Zeb, across from Main Reading Room, and Steinhart Courtyard)(above Cafe Zeb, across from the Main Reading Room)
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM     Dinner and Conference Closing (Warren Room, Goldberg Room)

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM   Optional San Francisco Symphony Outing (Limited to the first 25 requests, Free)

Saturday, June 13, 2015

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM     Optional Napa Valley Excursion (Limited to the first 36 requests, Additional $75)
Pacific Coast Association of Pre-Law Advisors (PCAPLA) | Contact