Students who take this course will personally reflect on why they want to go to law school and ask deep questions about what they want to accomplish at Cal and for their career. This class will explore the different experiences of being a pre-law student at Berkeley, a law student, and post-graduate professional. This course will primarily be discussion-based using Professor Darren Zook’s book, Law School: A Guide for the Perplexed, and relevant articles. Throughout the DeCal we will focus on different themes around potential paths in the legal field and how to achieve them.

Class Begins February 10th at 12pm (Berkeley time) in 247 Cory.

Students who take this course will...
*Have an understanding of what being pre-law at UC Berkeley means.
*Will demonstrate a better understanding of the undergraduate pre-law community at UC Berkeley, law school, and professional opportunities pertaining to pre-law
*Demonstrate a well-rounded knowledge of the legal pathways available to pursue.
*Will feel comfortable with campus resources and departments (e.g. the Career Center) so that if they choose to pursue a career in law they know what’s available at Berkeley to help them.
*Have a clear understanding of the components that Law School applications ask of them
*Understanding the different parts of the LSAT and how to study for it
*Demonstrate a better understanding to the LSAC application, including letters of recommendation, interview process, and Candidate Referral Service
*Have a more clear understanding of legal professions/paths to get there, be able to find out what kinds of careers they would like to have/are interested in

------

Evaluation of student performance (grading criteria, etc.)
Attendance: 20%
Participation: 10%
Reading Reflection: 50%
Final: 20%

This class is graded Pass/No Pass, 1 unit.

------

Attendance Policy:
Because of the importance of 90 minutes of collaborative discussion, students are only allowed to miss 2 sessions. Any further unexcused absences will result in NP. However, if a student encounters a family or medical emergency and provides the appropriate documentation to the facilitators, arrangements can be made for the student to complete an alternative assignment.

Statement on accommodation:
If you require any DSP accommodations for the assignments or in-class activities, please submit a DSP accommodation letter to the facilitators. You may also email the facilitators if you have any questions or concerns about the class.

Enrollment will be on a first come, first served basis through CalCentral. Type #23428 as the class number when adding the class in the Enrollment Shopping Cart. Students can be placed onto a waiting list after full enrollment by checking the box "Wait list if class is full." The waitlist will be automatically processed. The first class (February 10th) will be mandatory. Students who do not attend the first day of class will be dropped immediately.