CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Please note that the schedule below is tentative. Details may change as the event is finalized.
Stay tuned to this page for updates!
The final conference program booklet, which includes descriptions for each conference session, will be distributed to registered attendees on June 5.
Day 1 (Tuesday, June 13, 2023)
George Washington University Law School
2000 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20052Transportation: Attendees will travel to and from George Washington by DC Metro (passes distributed at conference hotel check-in and at registration table).
12:00pm Conference check-in opens (luggage storage available at law school)
12:00pm - 2:00pm Self-serve snacks and law school tours available
2:00pm - 3:00pm Concurrent Sessions (choose one to attend)
- So You Want To Be a Lawyer: Career Trends in the Legal Profession and Alternative Legal Careers for 2023 and Beyond
- Gihan Fernando, Assistant Vice Provost, American University Career Center
- Hillary Mantis, Assistant Dean for the Pre-law Advising Program, Fordham University
- Credentials and the Law School Class Profile: Evolution in Progress
Joseph G Kenny, Associate Professor of Business Law & Prelaw Advisor, St. John's University
Yvonne Cherena-Pacheco, Dean of Admissions, Shepard Broad College of Law, Nova Southeastern University
Peter M. Eraca, Director of Admissions, University of California Irvine School of Law
Michael J. States, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, University of Wisconsin Law School
- Addenda: Strategizing Contextual Materials
Tajira McCoy, Admissions Consultant, 7Sage
Matthew Keller, Head of Marketing, 7Sage
3:15pm - 4:15pm Roundtable Sessions (attendees are encouraged to rotate among sessions)
- Pre-Law Student Engagement Brainstorm Session: Building Bridges with Student Clubs
- Logan Reed, Career Counselor, University of Virginia
- Where do AI Writing Tools Fit into Pre-Law Admissions?
- Ilisabeth S Bornstein, Pre-Law Advisor, Bryant University
- David Kirschner, Associate Dean for Admissions, Financial Aid, and Innovation, USC Gould School of Law
- Professionalism and Personal Identity: Tensions and Adaptations in the New Era
Amy Best, Director of Admissions and Global Engagement, University of Iowa College of Law
Jenny Branson, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Baylor University School of Law
Alex Jablonski, Assistant Director for Pre-Law and Pre-Grad Advising, Cornell University
- Successful Practices for Faculty as Pre-Law Advisors
Marcus Thomas, Associate Professor and Chair, Music and Performing Arts Management, University of Hartford
Edward T. Egan, Director, Pre-Law Program and First Year Symposium, Mount St. Mary's University
Heather Frederick, Professor of Political Science and Prelaw Program Coordinator, Slippery Rock University
4:30pm - 6:00pm Welcome Reception, hosted by George Washington University Law School
Day 2 (Wednesday, June 14, 2023)
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
3600 John McCormack Rd. NE, Washington, DC, 20064Transportation: Buses will stage at both conference hotels and depart for Catholic University at 8am. Buses will transport attendees from Catholic to American, then from American to UDC, before returning to the hotels at 9:30pm.
8:30am - 9:50am Breakfast
10:00am - 11:00am Concurrent Sessions (choose one to attend)
- A Decade of Data: What Have We Learned About Legal Education Since 2010?
- Jerome M Organ, Bakken Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions, University of St. Thomas School of Law
- Demystifying the Law School Application Process for First-Generation Students
Pete Eraca, Director of Admissions, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Michelle Preston, Associate Director of Admissions Operations, University of Wisconsin Law School
Kate Vieira, Director of Admissions, Roger Williams University School of Law
Mario Villa, Associate Director of Admissions, Texas A&M University School of Law
- "Why Law?": How Reflection Can Promote Students' Professional Development & Well-Being
- Rachel B. Wickenheiser, J.D., Independent Scholar, Senior Admissions Consultant at Admit Advantage, Collaborator with Live Mind Learning
- Best Practices for Avoiding a Charge of Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process
Lisa Rodocker, Assistant Dean of Admissions, Washington and Lee University School of Law
Matthew D. Dillard, Director of Admissions, The George Washington University Law School
11:15am - 12:30pm Plenary Session
12:30pm - 1:30pm LunchAn Update on the Entry-Level Legal Employment Market
- Danielle Taylor, Director of Research, National Association of Law Placement (NALP)
1:30pm - 3:30pm Law School and Vendor Fair
American University, Washington College of Law
4300 Nebraska Ave. NW, Washington DC, 200164:30pm - 6:00pm Light reception and law school tours available
University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law
4340 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 200086:30pm - 9:00pm Evening Cookout, hosted by UDC Clarke School of Law and Howard University School of Law
George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School3301 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22201
Transportation: Attendees will travel to and from George Mason by DC Metro. Buses will stage at conference hotels for a 4:30pm departure to the Spy Museum.
Following the reception, attendees will be encouraged to carry the celebration over to the nearby DC Wharf, home to quite a number of excellent bars and restaurants (a 5-10 minute walk). Those who have signed up will join our sponsors there for small group dinners. Any attendees venturing to the Wharf will return to their hotels via the DC Metro or will make their own transportation arrangements.
For those wishing to return to the hotels at the conclusion of the Spy Museum reception, bus service will be provided at 7:15pm.
8:30am - 9:50am Breakfast (tours available beginning at 9:15am)
10:00am - 11:15am Plenary Session
Update from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
- Katya Valasek, Director of Prelaw Advising
11:30am - 12:30pm Breakout Discussion Sessions, hosted by LSAC Staff Members
- LawReady - Steve Kappler, Principal Consultant for LawReady
- The LSAT and other LSAC Services - Katya Valasek, Director of Pre-Law Advising
- Law School Transparency and LawHub - Kyle McEntee, Senior Director of LawHub Prelaw
12:30pm - 2:00pm Lunch, with Dean's Welcome and NAPLA Business Meeting
2:00pm - 3:00pm Law school tours available
5:00pm - 7:00pm NAPLA 50th Anniversary Celebration, DC International Spy Museum Rooftop Terrace
After 7:00pm Small group dinners, hosted by sponsoring law schools and organizations
Day 4 (Friday, June 16, 2023)
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20001
Transportation: Buses will stage at conference hotels for 8am departure to Georgetown University Law Center. Attendees will need to make their own travel arrangements once the conference has concluded.
8:30am - 9:30am Breakfast (luggage storage available at law school)
9:30am - 10:00am Tour
10:00am - 10:10am Dean's Welcome
10:10am - 11:25am Plenary Session
The Survey of Law Student Well Being: Preparing Students for the Stresses of Law School and the Legal Profession
- Jerome M Organ, Bakken Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions, University of St. Thomas School of Law
11:30am - 12:30pm Concurrent Sessions (choose one to attend)
- Integrating Skills Necessary for Law School Success into Your Classes
- Heather Frederick, Professor of Political Science and Prelaw Program Coordinator, Slippery Rock University
- The Road Less Traveled: Exploring Impactful Alternative Legal Careers with Gen-Z Students
- Molly Timko, J.D., Pre-Law Academic Advisor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- The Loan Repayment Landscape
Teria Thornton, Pre-Law and Diversity Initiatives Director, AccessLex Institute
Mary Bechler, Regional Director - Mid-Atlantic, AccessLex Institute
Leah Young, Regional Director - Northeast, AccessLex Institute
12:30pm Conference adjourns, and boxed lunches available