Housed in the Department of Humanities and Politics, the pre-law chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity (PAD) is ..
NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Pre-Law Program offers a range of co-curricular activities throughout the academic year aimed at providing students access to various tools and experiences that will prepare them for future success in law school and careers in the legal profession. The program is grounded in the B.S. in Legal Studies major and housed in the Department of Humanities and Politics, but participation is open to NSU undergraduate students in all majors. For more information contact the Pre-Law Coordinator, Dr. Vicki Toscano at (954) 262-8010 or @Vicki Toscano
Programs
Programs Description
Housed in the Department of Humanities and Politics, the pre-law chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity (PAD) is an international, co-educational fraternity dedicated to promoting professional competency, service, and professionalism within the legal community.
NSU’s undergraduate chapter is focused on creating strong bonds between students, teachers of the law, and legal professionals. PAD provides students with numerous opportunities for legal exposure through courthouse visits, LSAT practice sessions, and visits from admissions counselors from various law schools. PAD sponsors a shadowing program that partners undergraduate students with law school students to explore the law school experience. Undergraduate PAD members also work with NSU’s College of Law PAD chapter to host and attend relevant events.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Gain insight into the law school experience, sharpen your LSAT skills, network with like-minded students and legal professionals
Contact:
Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator and Faculty Advisor | (954) 262-8010 | @Vicki Toscano
NSU’s Mock Trial Team brings together students interested in law school or in honing their public speaking abilities. During a mock trial competition, students are assigned different roles (prosecuting attorney, defense lawyer, witness, etc.) and then perform these roles in a simulation of an actual court case against other universities. Students spend several months learning the case and working on their roles in preparation for the regional competition. The winning teams advance to the next round, culminating in the National Mock Trial Competition.
NSU’s undergraduate chapter is focused on creating strong bonds between students, teachers of the law, and legal professionals. PAD provides students with numerous opportunities for legal exposure through courthouse visits, LSAT practice sessions, and visits from admissions counselors from various law schools. PAD sponsors a shadowing program that partners undergraduate students with law school students to explore the law school experience. Undergraduate PAD members also work with NSU’s College of Law PAD chapter to host and attend relevant events.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Improve your speech and debate skills, learn how to craft a convincing argument, sharpen trial advocacy and legal research skills, and experience a simulated court room environment. Network with like-minded students.
Contact:
David Kilroy, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Humanities and Politics | (954) 262- 8021 | @David Kilroy
Additional information is available here
This series entails several workshops over the course of the academic year.
Workshops include but are not limited to:
a. So, you want to be lawyer? This workshop includes frank and informal conversation with NSU faculty to discuss what to expect and not expect in the student's pursuit of law school.
b. Application requirements: This workshop addresses the various parts of creating a good law school application including resume building, personal statements, etc. This will be faculty led and will include assistance from staff in the Center for Academic and Professional Success who can enlighten students about their existing programs/services regarding these aspects of applying to law school.
c. Alumni Chat: This workshop brings in alumni in various fields related to law to discuss their law school experiences and to offer their expertise, advice and encouragement.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Gain insight into preparing for and apply to law schools and network with faculty, alumni, and like-minded students.
Contact:
Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator| (954) 262-8010 | @Vicki Toscano
This series entails several workshops over the course of the academic year. Some of these workshops are sponsored by PAD (see above), who work with an outside service, while some are led by faculty in the Legal Studies program.
The latter workshops are particularly helpful in addressing the importance of a strong understanding of logic to student success in certain parts of the LSAT.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Gain valuable insight into preparing for the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) and network with faculty, alumni, and like-minded students.
Contact:
Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator| (954) 262-8010 | @Vicki Toscano
This series entails two to four programs per year. The lectures take place during the lunch hour and so do not conflict with course schedules.
A variety of speakers, both NSU faculty and invited guests, will present a mini-lecture to interested students in that person’s area of expertise. The pre-law program works with PAD to allow students to suggest mini-lecture topics.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Gain insight into specialized topics in the law and engage faculty and other experts in their areas of research or legal practice.
Contact:
Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator| (954) 262-8010 | @Vicki Toscano
Working closely with PAD, this series entails several panels over the course of the academic year where students in the pre-law community come together to learn more about identifying their future career plans and paths.
The first panel per academic year involves faculty from the undergraduate Legal Studies program (all of whom have had quite different paths leading to our current careers). The series then includes a number of panels utilizing alumni and others in the community to discuss the varied career paths that those interested in law may choose.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Gain insight from NSU faculty, alumni, and other law school graduates into what career paths you might follow with a degree in law.
Contact:
Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator| (954) 262-8010 | @Vicki Toscano
This program entails a number of events designed to provide undergraduate pre-law students with opportunities to find a mentor in the wider legal community.
One of the long-standing events in this program is led by Professor Stephen Levitt, where students are invited to the law offices of one of our alumni for lunch and information. Additional events involve partnering with law firms and other legal institutions in the South Florida area to provide mentorship and other opportunities to students. In some cases, students might partner with individual alumni of the Legal Studies or other relevant programs at NSU for mentoring and guidance.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Network with and learn from NSU alumni and other legal professionals.
Contact:
Professor Stephen Levitt, DHP Alumni Coordinator| (954) 262-8210 | @Stephen Ross Levitt
Students avail of the strong ties cultivated by the pre-law program with the legal community in South Florida.
By building these ties with alumni and other groups, the pre-law program is able to offer a number of dedicated internship opportunities for students interested in future careers in the law. Some of our current internship opportunities include placements with the Immigration Law Offices of Richard A. Hujbe, JK Closing Attorneys Law Firm, and Legal Aid Service of Broward County.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Gain practical experience and earn credit working in the field of law.
Contact:
David Kilroy, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Humanities and Politics | (954) 262- 8021 | @David Kilroy
The pre-law program works with students to develop opportunities volunteering with organizations that deal with issues of social justice in the community.
The program helps students identify and engage in outreach with local domestic violence shelters, community policing groups, environmental groups, etc. This program works in partnership with other NSU stakeholders in this area such as the Council for Dialogue and Democracy (see below) and the Office of Student Leadership and Civil Engagement in the College of Undergraduate Studies.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Engage in service and develop experience with activists and organizations working in the areas of social justice and civil rights.
Contact:
Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator| (954) 262-8010 | @Vicki Toscano
The Council for Dialogue and Democracy is a public-facing institution with a mission to facilitate dialogue and promote civic engagement aimed at fostering peace and social justice, personal responsibility, and a better educated citizenry.
Its primary focus centers around the concept of “practical democracy” broadly conceived i.e. maintaining, and fostering a society, economy, culture, and politics which advances, in Abraham Lincoln’s words, “government of the people, by the people and for the people.” The CDD is a joint venture between Department of Humanities and Politics (DHP) and the Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (DCAR) at NSU and so brings together faculty with variety of research interests in areas such as law, politics, and conflict analysis and resolution. The CDD periodically provides internship and research opportunities for undergraduate students as well as specialized programming of direct interest to students with an interest in the law.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors
What You Can Learn: Engage in projects aimed at promoting practical democracy and functioning politics.
Contact:
Charles Zelden, Ph.D., Co-Director, Center for Dialogue and Democracy| (954) 262-8218| @charles zelden
The Nova International Relations Association (NIRA) is NSU’s award-winning Model United Nations team. NIRA brings together a diverse group of students interested in global issues and provides a forum for students to discuss international relations.
NIRA represents NSU at statewide and regional conferences, has competed at the largest regional Model U.N. conference in the South, and has won several state and regional awards. NIRA also hosts a high school Model U.N. conference on the NSU campus, at which NIRA members act as committee chairs, running the entire simulation. Team members have gone on to serve as conference staff members after graduation.
Open to: NSU undergraduate students of all majors once they have successfully completed POLS 2400 – Model United Nations (offered each Fall, Monday evening from 6-8 PM)
What You Can Learn: Improve your research, writing, public speaking, teamwork, and parliamentary skills; meet like-minded students
Contact: G. Nelson Bass III, Ph.D., assistant professor | (954) 262-8099 | @Nelson Bass
Additional information is available here