Pre-law fraternity tours regional law schools

The Ohio University chapter of Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity sent 18 students on its annual law school trip on October 13-14. The students visited four law schools over a span of two days where they toured the campuses, participating in student panels, talking to admissions officers, and learning about the application process.

“Visiting law schools is an important part of the law school decision process,” said Larry Hayman, director of legal engagement and pre-law program at Ohio University and the group’s advisor. “Students are often able to visit a law school class, meet with current students and faculty, and learn about campus culture. It also demonstrates to a law school that you’re interested in them.”

In Cleveland, students visited Case Western Reserve Law and Cleveland State College of Law. At these schools, the admissions team gave students a deep dive into the application process and in-depth tours showcasing the resources they provide on campus.

In Detroit, students visited Wayne State University Law School and Detroit Mercy Law. At Wayne State, students got the opportunity to meet with Alison Gucwa, a second-year law student, and Jocelin Arbenz, a first-year law student.

Gucwa graduated from Ohio University in 2022 with a double major in environmental pre-law and political science and a minor in philosophy. During her time at Ohio University, Gucwa held the position of President of Phi Alpha Delta in 2021- 2022. Arbenz graduated from Ohio University in 2023 with a sociology-criminology major, with minors in psychology and business. During her time at Ohio University Arbenz also served as President of Phi Alpha Delta from 2022-2023.

At Detroit Mercy Law students learned about earning a dual JD degree, which allows graduates to be eligible to pursue licensure in both the US and Canada. Detroit Mercy Law is the only law school in North America that has this program.

“My experience on Phi Alpha Delta’s Law School Trip was nothing short of incredible," said third-year student and Phi Alpha Delta’s treasurer Anthony Banks. "The opportunity to get to see each law school in person made it easier to determine how well I’d fit at each school, as well as see what unique opportunities they had to offer. Without this trip, it would have been much more expensive and difficult to tour these schools and I most likely would not have gone to all of them. The trip was overall a very rewarding and informative experience that helped me get to know each school beyond just their rankings and statistics.”

"Going on the law school trip with Phi Alpha Delta was an invaluable experience," political science pre-law major Eva Grace said. "Prior to this, I had never toured a law school but found it extremely engaging and informative. Having the opportunity to explore law schools both in Ohio and outside of it has better prepared me to make an informed decision about where I want to pursue my legal career. It was overall a great professional and personal experience that I will look forward to participating in again."

“I am so grateful for how well this year's law school trip went. Getting to visit four schools and talk with the admissions officers along with current law students has been an invaluable experience for my law school application process. After everything I have learned on the trip, I feel well-prepared and excited for the opportunities and experiences that will await me in law school next year,” said Phi Alpha Delta President Emmalee Clark.