Does the idea of law school seem intimidating? Last semester, Pace’s law school began a new undergraduate shadowing program that helps Pace students get a sense of what law school is all about, in a more informal setting, allowing them to feel more at ease.

This program is similar to those programs hosted for high school looking at different prospective undergraduate universities.

“Some of my peers at the law school have told me that at different campuses they visited during their selection process, they believed that, during their tour, the law school was evaluating them just as much if not more than they were evaluating the law school,” said Erik Harris, a 2013 Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidate who was instrumental in starting this program.

This program is an opportunity created by minority student organizations on the law school campus, including the Black Law Students Association, the LAMBDA Law Students Organization, the Latino American Law Students Association, the Asian American Law Students Association, and the Women’s Association of Law Students, who all wanted to help their fellow minorities at the undergraduate level.

“The goal is more to get information out to minorities in the hopes that it will increase our representation in the legal profession.   Now in saying that I also want to say that this is not meant to discriminate against anyone.  I’d be willing to provide a host for anyone who wants to participate in the program, visit the law school, and take in the experience,” said Harris.

The program begins by the prospective student meeting their host student, from the department of their legal interest if they have one. The prospective student will then have the opportunity to attend a class, and speak to the professor after the class.

Following that, a tour of the law school campus takes place ending with a lunch provided in the cafeteria, giving the student the chance to sit down with their host to discuss some of the more salient concerns they might have about law school and the legal profession. This is a student developed program, and therefore the prospective students are not forced to meet with anyone from Financial Aid or Admissions unless they so choose.

“It is important to note here that it is not the goal of the program to have every person that participates in this program to enroll at Pace Law School, it is more to get information out to minorities in the hopes that it will increase our representation in the legal profession,” said Harris, who hosted many high school students as a member of the Siena College men’s basketball team, and wanted to give to give the same informal experience to undergraduate students who are considering attending law school.

Students who are interested should first contact their faculty advisors, who will then put them in contact with Harris to arrange for the shadow, pairing the prospective student with the student organizations at the law school that best corresponds with the student’s demographic background.