Law students give undergrads some tips

A panel of law students spoke to undergraduates about the rigors of law school Tuesday night in Houston Hall. "It gives students an opportunity to differentiate between what law schools tell you and what the actual experience is," said College senior Byron Stier, president of the John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society which co-sponsored the program. The three law school students -- Franklin Green, Bob Tintner and Joanne Ooi -- told the 15 students present that law school was not the nightmare some have portrayed it to be. "Law school really isn't as bad as a lot of people say it is," said Green, a Temple University law student and University graduate. Although many students choose to go directly from college to law school, Tintner took two years off after graduating the University before beginning law school here. He said that this is an option students often disregard, but in many cases there is a connection between doing so and being a more industrious student. All three emphasized the importance of being sure that law school is the right option before going. They said that law school admission was based primarily on grades and LSAT scores. "It is true that grades are the end-all and be-all of law school . . . In the 80s it might have been a different ball game, but not so much nowadays," Ooi said. Location proved to be a key factor in law school decisions for Green and Titner. "Employeers often ask . . . 'Why do you want to practice here?' You want to show that you have some sort of connection," Titner said. "I think I chose Penn . . . because I knew I wanted to practice here." All three said that the search for a job is an ongoing process beginning with the search for a summer job after the first year. Ooi said that of the Law School's 270 graduates last year, 15 percent were unemployed at graduation.