For People of Color, Inc. will start accepting personal statements from prospective law school applicants, for our review, during the period of Monday, July 1, 2013, thru Sunday, July 7, 2013.  Please do not send us any personal statements at this time.

This is a free service made possible by the generosity and support of our donors. (See list below.)

We are only going to review personal statements and will not review resumes, supplemental statements, or letters of recommendation.  Also, we do not grant any extension requests.

Submission Requirements:

Personal statements submitted for our review must strictly adhere to the following requirements:

1. Review FPOC’s Law School Admissions Resources:  Only prospective applicants who previously attended one of our law school admissions conferences (e.g., live event or video) or have read our admissions guide will be eligible to submit statements for our review.  The links to these resources are below. 

Video of Law School Admissions Workshop

FPOC’s Law School Admissions Guide

The admissions workshop and guide will assist you in preparing your statement.

2. No First Drafts:  FPOC does not review first drafts.  Please only submit a statement that you consider to be your “final draft.”  Make absolutely sure that your statement does not contain any typographical, spelling, or grammatical errors.  Our review will focus exclusively on the statement’s content and is not designed to identify and correct such errors.

3. Three-Page Limit: We will not review any statements that exceed three (3) pages.

4. Line Spacing: Statements must be double-spaced.

5. Margins & Font Size: Minimum of one (1)-inch margins and 12-point font. Do not try to “squeeze” a 4-5 page statement into 3 pages.

6. Document Format: Submissions must be in Word (.doc or .docx) format.  Some of our admissions consultants provide tracked changes, thus the reason we require documents in Word format.  Do not submit .pdf, .tiff, .jpeg, or Word Perfect files.

Distribution of Link to Submission Form:

A link to the submission form will be sent to our e-mail listserve (i.e., individuals who receive e-mails directly from us) the morning of Monday, July 1st. 

Click Here to Join FPOC’s E-mail Listserve

Any statements that are directly e-mailed to us will be ignored.  Again, please do not send us any statements at this time.

For People of Color, Inc.’s Admissions Consultants:

Your statement will be assigned to one of our admissions consultants for review.  Click here to review our consultants’ biographies (scroll to the bottom of the page). 

Feedback Deadline:

FPOC’s feedback will be provided on or before August 18, 2013.

Resources:

Video of Law School Admissions Workshop

FPOC’s Law School Admissions Guide

FPOC’s E-mail Listserve:

If this e-mail was forwarded to you, but you are not currently a member of our e-mail listserve, please click on the link below to join.

Click Here to Join FPOC’s E-mail Listserve

For People of Color, Inc.’s Sponsors:

Angel Sponsors:

Willie D. Brown, Jr.

California Minority Counsel Program

Platinum Sponsors:

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

State Bar of California – Environmental Law Section

Stephen Abreu

Custodio & Dubey LLP

Sabas D. Carrillo

Law Offices of Miguel Duarte

Parissh A. Knox

Monica M. Ortiz

Norma Nava

Juan J. Redin

misty m. sanford & Gideon Kracov

Vilma R. Palma-Solana & Anthony Solana, Jr.

Gold Sponsor:

Lim, Ruger, & Kim, LLP

Silver Sponsors:

Sunita Bali-Williams

Alec Y. Chang

Scott Franklin

Rodney O. Fong

Bethany and Steve Kristovich

The Fellowship for Advancement and Resources (FAR) is a holistic pipeline initiative demonstrating Snell & Wilmer’s persistent and unwavering commitment to matters concerning diversity and inclusion in the workplace and legal profession. FAR attempts to address, if not eliminate, several challenges students with diverse backgrounds face in becoming successful lawyers. Individuals who are accepted into the FAR program, or “Fellows,” will receive multiple incentives at key junctures of their education and will maintain contact with an assigned Snell & Wilmer attorney (“Mentor”) over the course of the fellowship. The goal of the program is to assure that each Fellow develops into a successful lawyer.

Click Here to Download Application

FAR offers these advantages:

A Path for Admission
To increase the likelihood of admission to law school, the Fellow will receive a fully paid commercial LSAT preparation course of the Fellow’s choosing and a stipend equal to the most current cost to sit for the LSAT exam and Credential Assembly Service fee.

Knowledge to Hit the Ground Running
The Fellow must provide the Mentor with proof of acceptance and commitment to law school. Fellows will then receive a fully paid commercial law school prep course designed specifically for incoming 1Ls. The program will demystify the law school experience and teach the skills and strategies necessary for the Fellow to achieve academic success.

Tools to Compete
After the Fellow provides the Mentor with proof of acceptance and commitment to a law school, the Fellow and Mentor will discuss whether the firm can provide the Fellow with any tools or equipment needed to assist the Fellow with his/her law school studies.

Resources to Succeed
Upon starting each semester throughout all three years of law school, the Fellow will submit to the Mentor the Fellow’s course schedule showing enrollment and receipts for books and/or study aids purchased by the Fellow for each respective semester. Snell & Wilmer will then reimburse the Fellow’s expenses for books and/or study aids up to $300 per semester.

Empowerment
From the time the fellowship is awarded, through the end of the Fellow’s first year of law school, the Fellow is required—in addition to providing the information requested above—to maintain contact with the assigned Mentor by telephone and/or email at least once a month. The purpose of the regular contact is for the Mentor to provide the Fellow with increased awareness and understanding of the legal profession, leadership skills development, opportunities for engagement, and a broader network of personal and professional relationships.

I have been hearing from an increasing number of you who have either:

(a) been wait listed;
(b) been denied admission; and/or
(c) believe that you have “failed.”

The following is advice regarding these topics. This advice is purely from my perspective and experience. In the end you have to make your own choices. As you all know, in life there are simply no guarantees.

I. Wait listed

If you have been wait listed, you are in a pool of applicants the law school will draw from when applicants who have been admitted decline that admission. In other words, people get pulled from the wait list in order to fill empty spots.

Therefore, the “name of the game” is to get on top of that wait list. Some schools literally rank their wait list from the first student they will pull from that list to the bottom. Other schools will not rank, but pull students who have similar numbers to those that decline admission. Regardless of what method a law school uses, it is imperative that you make it well known that you want to be on the top of that list.

Proposed Steps:

1. Immediately write a letter to the Dean of Admissions informing him or her that you are excited about the opportunity of attending the law school and why you want to attend that specific school (e.g. a specific program, concentration, specialty, etc.). If it is true, inform him or her that the law school is your top school and will attend if you are granted admission.

Also, inform him or her of any recent developments (e.g., any awards or scholarships, good grades you recently received, great recent work or community experience, etc.). It is important that you clearly specify any recent developments and why that enhances your original application. Do not simply summarize your submitted application.

The letter should be less than one page and should be very simple, clear, and to the point. Overall, exercise good judgment when preparing this letter. More importantly, absolutely no mistakes! Remember, there is no margin of error. Make absolutely sure your materials are “perfect.”

2. Find an alumnus or alumna who graduated from that particular law school and ask if they will write you a letter of support. It is vital that you be able to succinctly communicate your desire and strengths to this potential supporter. You should be ready to overnight mail or email them your application materials as a .pdf so they can get a better sense of your application.

3. Obtain an additional letter of recommendation and submit it. It should focus on your intellectual prowess. In other words a, “this person is brilliant and will do very well at your school” type of letter. This letter can come from a professor, advisor, administrator, employer, or member of the legal community.

4. Contact the student of color organizations at that law school and see if they are willing to support you in your quest to gain admission. Although I abhor colloquialisms, I must state that this step is a bit “iffy” because the responsiveness from these groups varies widely. It does not, however, hurt to ask.

Finally, do all of this as soon as possible. Your letter should be faxed and sent to the school via overnight mail, not e-mailed, the minute you are informed that you have been placed on the wait list. I admit that I am somewhat “old school” in terms of delivery. But whatever method you utilize, please be cognizant of the fact that time is of the essence.

II. Denied Admission

I must admit that you are in a very difficult place if you are denied admission. Chances are you will not be able to turn this decision around.

In my mind, however, it is best to go down fighting. At worst, you are taking one more shot, which might succeed.

Proposed Steps:

1. Double check your LSDAS report and application to ensure there are no mistakes regarding your grades and LSAT score. You should have done this before submitting your application. However, it may be the case that a mistake was made, thus the reason why you were denied admission. This is extremely rare, but it is worth looking into.

2. Appeal the decision via a letter: Most admissions officials will tell you that there is no “formal” appeals process when they deny someone admission.

This is what you need to do: Write a letter informing the Dean of Admissions that you regret the fact that they have denied you admission. But also inform the admissions officials that you want them to re-review your file for admission. Then point out the strongest points of your application (e.g., academic accomplishments, intelligence, work experience, community service, awards, grades – especially if you started doing really well in the end of your academic career). Again, this letter needs to be “perfect,” well thought out, and to the point.

2. Do all the other steps under the wait list category.

Overall lesson:

As I like to state during my admissions workshops, you need to be your own best advocate. If you want to become an effective attorney, then you need to learn how to zealously represent your clients. This learning process, however, starts with your ability to represent and advocate for yourself.

Do not be timid and do not take “no” for an answer. Obviously, this does not give you license to be rude or annoying. Again, I cannot overemphasize the importance of always exercising good judgment. Being aggressive, yet cordial and pleasant are not mutually exclusive characteristics.

Most importantly, know that being placed on a wait list or denied admission is not an indication that you have failed and have nothing to contribute to our society. Put in the starkest terms, you are not “stupid.”

The elite law schools are placing an ever-increasing emphasis on the numbers (i.e., GPA and LSAT). Therefore, it is up to you to contextualize these numbers in order to demonstrate that these scores are not an accurate reflection of your academic potential.

III. Concept of “Failure”

In life, there are times when one is faced with “failure.” Being a person of color, you have most likely faced multiple instances in your life when you have felt that you have “failed” at achieving a goal. I would argue, however, that there are forces completely out of your control that increase the likelihood of you “failing.” These forces, among others, are misguided privilege which manifests itself in an unjust system of power, vices within our own communities, and personal insecurities and self-doubt.

You are not alone. All of us have to face forces. Do not let these challenges impede your progress. Although this is easier said than done, I would like to remind you that you have already accomplished this vital task.

For many of you, the position you currently find yourself in was simply unimaginable even a few years ago. Chances are you are the first person in your family (some from rather large families) to ever attain a college degree or even be close to doing so. In fact, some of you are probably the first person in your family to graduate from high school.

Relish the fact that you have been incredibly successful. In my mind, being the “first” at anything is worth much more than grades and standardized test scores.

Please remember that attaining a goal in life is merely the product of the lessons one acquires during the journey. Attaining a goal is only the fruit of struggle.

IV. Law School Applications

In the context of law school applications, it is difficult to reconcile what I wrote above given that law schools are fixated on conventional notions of success (i.e., GPA and standardized test scores). Thus, although I believe you are all incredibly intelligent, determined, and wonderful people, those attributes, in and of themselves might not be enough to gain admission to a competitive law school. A conflict exists that would lead one to believe that this system is completely unfair and wholly impossible to navigate.

I have faced this constant tension and share your frustration. Although I strenuously advocate that you explicitly use your experiences to contextualize your scores, it has always been absolutely clear that the scores are the most important factor in law school admissions. In that light, I offer the following advice.

A. Written Materials

You have to make certain that all of your written materials are absolutely perfect. And by perfect, I literally mean absolute perfection in spelling, grammar, syntax, and all other grammar rules. This is especially true if you have low scores. If you have low scores, admissions officials are assuming that you are not an intelligent person. Now, I know that is simply not true. You, however, make it much easier for them to rest on this false assumption if your written materials are replete with spelling and grammatical errors.

Therefore, please go back and review your materials. Are any mistakes present? If so, believe it or not, that may have been enough to deny you admission. I know this sounds absolutely draconian, but there is simply no room for error in this process. Again, this is especially true if you are a person of color with low scores. In the past, I have found very basic mistakes in materials provided to me from people denied admission who “swear” that they “worked hard” to submit stellar materials. Please remember that submitting poorly-written applications will only serve to completely disempower your potential allies in the admissions committees.

Now, I completely understand that it is difficult to achieve “perfection.” (In fact, there are likely a couple of typos in this long e-mail.) Unfortunately, however, this process is unforgiving and you will need to meet, if not exceed, this exacting standard.

B. Grades

If you are still in school, please make sure to get as many “As” on your transcript as possible. To be blunt, admissions officials want to see As. Thus, do everything within your power to get the highest scores possible and strengthen your academic profile. If you are afraid of taking honors courses or of embarking on a senior thesis, leave that fear “at the door.” Aside from the benefits of a rigorous course selection, you will develop relationships with faculty that will enhance your academic profile and make you a better student.

I know life is hard and personal and family “drama” always arises at the worst possible moment. Place strong boundaries around that “drama.”

Please implement a “Drama Reduction Program.” To be completely frank, I have generally found that in life one will interact with two types of persons: (a) people who want us to get ahead; and (b) people who want to hold us back because of their own insecurities and self-doubt. The first step to implementing this “program” is to identify where people fall. I kindly suggest that you try to surround yourself with people who fall in the former category, not the latter.

C. LSAT

Please make sure to take a preparation course. If you cannot afford a course, contact the “Category A” people in your life and ask them for a personal loan. If you do this, however, then you owe them an obligation to put every ounce of effort into mastering the LSAT. Personally, if I am going to borrow money from someone close to me for an educational purpose, then I owe them and myself complete dedication.

Furthermore, ask the LSAT preparation companies if they offer scholarships.

Some of you do not ask these questions because you are “shy.” Just remember that being shy is a very expensive proposition and can cost you a large sum of money. In my mind, I have always been too poor to be “shy.”

D. Strategy

Avoid Procrastination: Unfortunately, people of color tend to procrastinate when it comes to law school applications. Although this may seem like an unfair, almost borderline racist comment to make, I believe that it is true. Every year, hundreds of law school applicants of color, with low scores, submit their applications at the very last possible moment. They are literally running to the post office or after the UPS truck at the very last possible minute to turn in those applications. Many of the e-mails FPOC receives from applicants who are on the wait list or are denied admission state that they submitted their application either in late-December or mid-January and feel that they submitted their materials “early.”

As of today, you literally have months to prepare a wonderful application. Frankly, the real deadline is mid-September to early October. (The first day the law schools you are applying to start accepting applications.) This holds true even if you take the LSAT in October or December.

Now, many of you will fight me on this point and raise every possible excuse to avoid this truism. Any admissions consultant worth his or her salt, however, will quickly inform you that submitting a late application (i.e., applications submitted after November) are at a clear disadvantage.

Again, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to submit your applications, without sacrificing quality, during the earliest stages of the admissions cycle. This is especially true if you have low scores. Put simply, admissions officials have much more discretion at the beginning of the process than at the tail end. Also, since most if not all schools have rolling admissions, they are reviewing applications as soon as they are received.

Question: If you have a very compelling history, but low scores, would it not be better to compete with less people in the beginning of the process, when admissions officials have more discretion? Or should you compete with thousands of applicants at the tail end of the process, when: (1) there are only a few spots available; (2) admissions officials are almost purely fixated on the numbers in order to increase their law school’s ranking; (3) there is almost no discretion; and (4) the time available to thoroughly review applications has significantly decreased?

I will leave that question open for you to answer.

E. Apply to Several Law Schools

Significantly increase the number of law schools you are applying to. I insist that you apply to at least twelve to twenty five law schools across the country.

If you have low scores, you need to apply to as many schools as possible.

Do not apply only to the “top” ten to twenty five law schools. Instead, make sure to expand your pool to include schools across the selection range (i.e. “tiers”).

Please apply to law schools located outside of your respective states. Many schools want to become “national” schools and thus place a high value on geographic diversity. Use that to your advantage! This holds true even if you are confident that you will not leave your home state.

Why? Doing so might attract handsome financial aid offers that you can, in turn, use to negotiate more generous financial aid packages from the schools in your immediate area. Never underestimate the power of competing offers when negotiating your financial aid package.

Remember, this may hold true even if the financial aid offer is from a “lower ranked” school.

VI. Conclusion

Finally, I know that many of you did everything within your power to get the best grades and scores possible. And that you were absolutely neurotic about perfecting your materials. Also, you applied to every school “under the sun.” For those of you in that category, all I can say is congratulations because you made a solid attempt to gain admission. Now, what you have to do is pick yourself up off the floor and reassess your application strategy.

If you have low scores, where did all your letters of recommendation come from? Did they all come from professors who could vouch for your intellectual strengths or did you only get letters from employers? This is an important point. In my humble opinion, if you have low scores, each and every one of your letters must drive home the fact that you are intelligent. Thus, it is preferable that the majority of your letters come from professors. I discuss this more fully in my law school admissions guide. (See, FPOC’s website.)

I have worked with students where it literally took them two or three cycles to get into law school. Please do not give up. If you are really dedicated to becoming an attorney, then being denied once should not hold you back. Although I can truly empathize with your feelings of “failure” and discontent, I would challenge you to re-focus that energy in order to gear-up for the next cycle.

In the end, always know that our communities love and respect the position you have placed yourself in. You might not know it, but there are people who greatly admire the fact that you are in school or already obtained your undergraduate degree. Embrace that fact and continue to fight for those who may have sacrificed to provide you the opportunities you enjoy and cherish.

There is simply no room on this earth for you to give up on yourself, let alone give up on those who have worked so hard to provide us with these precious opportunities.

As always, I wish each and every one of you the very best. You deserve it.

With best wishes,

Anthony Solana, Jr.
President & Chairperson
For People of Color, Inc.
anthonysolana@forpeopleofcolor.org

Friday, July 12, 2013
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Los Angeles Athletic Club
431 W. 7th Street
Los Angeles, California 90014

Hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Partial Hosted Bar

Honoring:

Trailblazer Award

Leo Trujillo-Cox
Executive Director of Academic Outreach & Development
Associate Director of Admissions & Recruitment
Instructor, Law Fellows Program
UCLA School of Law

Community Service Award

Anthony Tolbert
Associate Director, Admissions and Outreach
Adjunct Faculty
UCLA School of Law

Speakers:

Master of Ceremonies

Willie D. Brown, Jr.
Secretary & Board Member
For People of Color, Inc.

Ticket Information:

Click Here To Buy Tickets

About For People of Color, Inc.:

For over a decade, For People of Color, Inc. (“FPOC”) has provided free, high-quality law school admissions consulting services to thousands of prospective law school applicants. FPOC has been widely recognized as a leader in its efforts to diversify the profession. Its workshops and publications have been credited with assisting students gain admission to the country’s most selective law schools.

Questions regarding the application or program should be directed to the Outreach Office by email outreach@law.ucdavis.edu or by phone 530-754-7776.

Program Summer Dates

KHOP 2013 – July 6 through August 3, 2013

KHOP 2014* – Early July through early August, 2014

* Specific dates to be determined, however if accepted to the program you must commit to participate in the second summer.
Comprehensive Instruction

KHOP is an intensive law school preparation program that requires you to make a two-year commitment during your junior and senior years. By participating in KHOP, you will know or have mastered:

• Study techniques for taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and hints on how to avoid exam anxiety.

• Writing, analytical and logical reasoning skills that will enhance your academic performance as an undergraduate student.

• Law school application “do’s” and “don’ts” along with information about the expectations of admissions committees.

• The different career paths of law school graduates.

The program is specifically designed to help you anticipate, plan for and even practice what is expected of you as a law school candidate and student.

Designed for Your Success

Your KHOP commitment involves two academic years and two consecutive summers: one four-week session each summer from early July to early August where you are “in residence” at UC Davis. During the two summer sessions, you will take classes in writing, logic, and LSAT prep, sit in on presentations, participate in Moot Court and Mock Trial, and meet with tutors and admission professionals who can help shape your academic and career decisions. During the academic year, you will have the opportunity to attend workshops/presentations on the application process, and take practice LSAT exams under test conditions. You will also have the opportunity to meet law professors, attorneys, and admissions professionals from various law schools. This program is designed for students who are serious about going to law school.

Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible to apply for inclusion in KHOP if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You currently attend a four-year college as a sophomore or have two years before graduating from your undergraduate institution. Current community college students who will transfer to a four-year college or university beginning the immediate Fall following the first KHOP summer program are eligible to apply.

• You currently attend college or will transfer to a college within the greater Sacramento area (no more than 3 hours from Sacramento/Davis) by this upcoming Fall.

• You are considered a first-generation college student (no parent or legal guardian has a bachelor’s degree) OR you come from an economically disadvantaged background, defined as your parents’ household income being less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines (http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/ External Link) for the corresponding household size.

• You have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher as calculated on the LSAC 4.33 scale and guidelines (A+ count as 4.33, NP/NC count as 0.0, etc.) as indicator of potential for academic success.

• You intend to apply to law school, but no earlier than Fall of your last (senior) year of college.

Higher consideration given to students previously identified by current or previous enrollment in a TRIO program (i.e. EOP, Upward Bound, Academic Talent Search, SSS, McNair, etc) or other college outreach programs such as STEP, PUENTE, MESA, CAMP, etc.
Cost

There are no application or tuition fees to participate the program. Program participants are required to stay in housing arranged by KHOP throughout the four-week program. Room and board and field trip admittance/transportation are paid by the program. If admitted to the program, participants are responsible for all associated costs relating to: travel to/from the program and its classes, the order/collection of official transcripts for both years, business attire, note-taking materials, weekend lunches and miscellaneous expenses. If selected to participate in KHOP, you are not allowed to take outside classes or work. We understand that many students depend on financial aid and work in the summer. Students who successfully complete the summer program will receive up to a $1400 stipend based on participation. *Please note that due to the continual budget changes and constraints, costs/fees are subject to change with minimal notice.

Click Here to Download Application Materials

Questions?

Questions regarding the application or program should be directed to the Outreach Office by email outreach@law.ucdavis.edu or by phone 530-754-7776.

FPOC’s Judicial Clerkship Application Workshop will assist law students and recent law school graduates who wish to apply for a state and/or federal judicial clerkships. This workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of the judicial clerkship application process and explain why it is critically important for people of color to aggressively pursue clerkships during the early stages of their legal careers.

Judicial clerkships are not positions reserved for the “privileged few” who have the luxury of attending a “top ten” law school. This workshop will dispel any notion that a law clerk applicant must be on law review, ranked in the top ten of his or her class, and en route to a big law firm.

A judicial clerkship will provide you with the invaluable experience of working with judges and fellow clerks in making recommendations on important legal issues. It will also have a tremendous positive impact on your career.

This event is exclusively for current law students and law school graduates.

When: Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Where: San Francisco Office of Munger, Tolles and Olson, LLP

Location Information:

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
560 Mission St.
27th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105

Click Here to Download FPOC’s Guide to the Judicial Clerkship Application Process

Featured Speakers:

Norma Nava
Vice President & Board Member
For People of Color, Inc.

Norma Nava is the Vice President of For People of Color, Inc. She is the author of “A Guide to the Judicial Clerkship Application Process For People of Color.” Norma is an attorney with the law firm of Lim, Ruger & Kim, LLP and focuses her practice on commercial and business litigation matters. She previously completed a prestigious fellowship with the ACLU’s Drug Law Reform Project. Norma served as a law clerk for the Honorable Oliver W. Wanger, U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California. She graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law where she was the Co-Chair of La Raza Law Students Association, Managing Editor of the Chicano/Latino Law Review, and served as the Chair of the inaugural board of the National Latina/o Law Students Association.

Norma is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. She was the first person in her family to attain a college degree and Juris Doctor. Norma received her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Araceli Martínez-Olguín
Staff Attorney
Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center

Araceli Martínez-Olguín is a Staff Attorney in the National Origin, Immigration, and Language Rights Program. She works to vindicate and expand the workplace rights of recent immigrants to the United States—particularly those who face exploitation on account of their immigrant status, or who have been unfairly denied equal employment opportunities because of their linguistic characteristics.

Prior to joining LAS–ELC in 2010, Araceli was a Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project, where she engaged in advocacy on behalf of immigrant women workers. She also served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge David Briones.

Araceli received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley’s Law School (Boalt Hall) in 2004. Araceli earned her undergraduate degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1999. She is a member of the Bars of California and New York, and served as a lecturer at Berkeley Law (Spring 2012: Spanish for Lawyers). Before law school, Araceli taught bilingual kindergarten through Teach for America in Oakland, California. She is the 2010 recipient of the Hon. Thelton E. Henderson Social Justice Prize.

Miriam Kim
Partner
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Miriam Kim is a partner in the San Francisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, intellectual property matters and internal investigations. Ms. Kim’s IP litigation experience includes copyright, trade secret and patent matters. In particular, Ms. Kim has significant experience defending clients against alleged copyright infringement and trade secret theft claims involving software.

Ms. Kim speaks Korean and has successfully advocated for clients in a range of matters involving Korean companies. Ms. Kim’s pro bono practice is focused on the needs of victims of sexual abuse. She is a board member of the Asian American Bar Association and an active member of Christ Church East Bay.

Prior to joining Munger Tolles, Ms. Kim was a litigation associate at Goodwin Procter and clerked for the Honorable Levin H. Campbell, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit. She graduated from the UC Berkeley School of Law, where she was president of the Boalt Hall Student Association and a member of the California Law Review.

Yara Lomeli-Loibl
Staff Attorney
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Yara Lomeli-Loibl grew up in Davis, California, and is a 2005 graduate of Mount Holyoke College and a 2009 graduate of Stanford Law School. Between college and law school she did a year of service with AmeriCorps. During law school Yara served on the board of the Stanford Latino Law Student Association and interned at several non-profit organizations advocating for immigrants’ rights and providing immigration legal services. Yara clerked in Sacramento for the Honorable John A. Mendez, Eastern District of California. She is currently a Staff Attorney for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she works on immigration appeals.

Quyen Ta
Partner
Keker & Van Nest LLP

Quyen Ta litigates complex commercial matters. She focuses her practice on intellectual property, securities, and other complex business disputes. She has tried numerous criminal and civil cases in state and federal courts, including five as first-chair. Ms. Ta was a member of a trial team that secured a trial victory and settlement publicly valued at more than $300 million for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

Clerkships

Hon. Lawrence K. Karlton
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 2004-2006

Awards and Honors

• Dale Minami Public Interest Fellowship Alumni of the Year Award, 2013

• Bar Association of San Francisco Award of Merit, 2012

• Rising Star, Northern California Super Lawyers, 2012

• Minority Bar Coalition Unity Award, 2010

• Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow, 2003-2004

• Community Service Award, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California, 2003

• Prosser Award in Cities, Stratification and Separation, 2003

• Prosser Award in Minority Vote Dilution, 2002

• UC Berkeley School of Law Moot Court Brief Writing Award, 2001

• Phi Beta Kappa

Khari J. Tillery
Associate
Keker & Van Nest LLP

Whether handling complex cases for leading technology companies, real estate investors or Am Law 100 law firms, Khari Tillery focuses on protecting his client’s business. He does so by identifying effective strategies to help his clients achieve their goals and resolve their problems, either by reaching a favorable settlement or winning at trial.

Prior to joining Keker & Van Nest, Mr. Tillery spent a year at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco as the Thurgood Marshall Fellow.

Clerkships

Hon. Martin J. Jenkins
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Hon. Theodore A. McKee
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Awards and Honors

• Editor-in-chief, African-American Law and Policy Report

• President, Law Students of African Descent, UC Berkeley School of Law

FPOC’s Sponsors:

Willie D. Brown, Jr.

California Minority Counsel Program

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

misty m. sanford & Gideon Kracov

Custodio & Dubey LLP

Parissh A. Knox

Monica M. Ortiz

Juan J. Redin

Norma Nava

Stephen Abreu

Law Offices of Miguel Duarte

Vilma R. Palma-Solana & Anthony Solana, Jr.

Lim, Ruger, & Kim, LLP

Alec Y. Chang

Sunita Bali-Williams

Rodney O. Fong

Bethany and Steve Kristovich

Click Here to Download Program Flyer & FAQs

Successful applicants are candidates that possess a record of academic achievement, demonstrated leadership and initiative, and community involvement, which indicate the potential for success in law school and in the legal profession. We seek individuals who show the potential to contribute meaningfully to the diversity of the legal profession, including, but not limited to, candidates who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups, are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, are physically challenged, or are from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

Fellows are expected to work in our Los Angeles office for a period of one year prior to attending law school. Fellows will be eligible to receive a stipend to enroll in an LSAT preparation course and work on a flexible or reduced time basis while they prepare for the LSAT. This program is geared to those that have not yet applied to or been accepted to law school.

Application Process

We are now accepting applications for the MTO Fellows Program. Your application should include:

1) A resume;

2) Official or unofficial (photocopy and/or online version) undergraduate transcript;

3) A personal statement of no more than 500 words describing your interest in the MTO Fellows Program; and

4) Contact information for two references.

The deadline for submission of application materials is April 1st. Please make sure your name is on all your materials.

Application materials should be sent by mail, or fax, or PDF to the attention of:

Diana Poore, Human Resources Manager
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
355 South Grand Avenue, 35th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90071-1560
Fax: (213) 593-2985
E-mail: Diana.Poore@mto.com

Interviews will be scheduled for finalists in early May.

All questions should be directed to Diana Poore.

There is NO CHARGE for students admitted to the program, which provides:

1. A certificate for a free LSAT Review course

2. Detailed information on the law school admissions process

3. Detailed information about the costs of law school and available financial aid

4. Advice about excelling in law school from law students, faculty, and recent graduates

5. Information about careers in law from practicing lawyers in many fields

6. Limited scholarships for transportation and/or housing costs

Click Here to Download Application

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. You are a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited college or university (this includes a community college)

2. You do not plan to submit any applications to law school until Fall 2013 or later

3. You have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

4. You are from a disadvantaged background, which may include one or more of the following factors:

• Family income within 200% of the federal poverty guidelines per http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty

• First-generation college student

• Limited familial exposure to post-college education and career opportunities

• English is not the primary language in the home of origin

• Overcoming educational hardships and challenges

5. You must attend all six Saturday sessions of POP 2013, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. each day: June 22 and 29 and July 6, 13, 20 and 27. There are no exceptions for those studying abroad..

Questions? Read the Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have a question not addressed here or in the FAQ, please email Anna Davis at adavis@law.uci.edu after reading the FAQ section of the application.

Presented by: For People of Color, Inc. & UC Irvine School of Law’s
underRepresented Student Alliance

*This event is free and open to the public.

When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Where:

UC Irvine School of Law
401 East Peltason Drive
Irvine, California 92617

Click Here for Map

Event Description:

This event will provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the law school application process. Current law students and administrators will provide tips and advice on how best to navigate the law school admissions process. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Conference Agenda:

• Breakfast & Registration
• Welcoming Remarks by Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
• Janice Austin, Assistant Dean of Admissions, UC Irvine School of Law
• Anthony Solana, Jr., President & Chairperson, For People of Color, Inc.
• Estuardo Ponciano, Assistant Director of Admissions, UC Irvine School of Law
• Nasreen Zia, Director of Financial Aid, UC Irvine School of Law
• Law Student Panel
• UC Irvine School of Law Faculty Panel
• Attorney Panel:
  • Monica Ortiz, Attorney at Law, Reed Smith LLP
  • Patricia J. Chen, Principal, PC Law Group
  • Fred Slaughter, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California
  • Christina Zabat-Fran, Assistant General Counsel, St. John Knits 
• Personal Statement Review with UC Irvine School of Law Students

RSVP: Registration is required.

Click Here to Register

Personal Statement Review:

UC Irvine Law students will be available to review your application materials. Please feel free to bring a copy of your personal statement to the event. Do not e-mail your materials to us.

Event Sponsors:

Willie D. Brown, Jr.

California Minority Counsel Program

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

The California Bar Foundation

Environmental Law Section – State Bar of California

misty m. sanford & Gideon Kracov

Custodio & Dubey LLP

Parissh A. Knox

Monica M. Ortiz

Juan J. Redin

Norma Nava

Stephen Abreu

Law Offices of Miguel Duarte

Vilma R. Palma-Solana & Anthony Solana, Jr.

Lim, Ruger, & Kim, LLP

Alec Y. Chang

Sunita Bali-Williams

Rodney O. Fong

Bethany and Steve Kristovich

Presented by: For People of Color, Inc. & The Bar Association of San Francisco

When: Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:

The Bar Association of San Francisco
301 Battery Street
San Francisco, California 94111

RSVP: Registration is required.

Due to limited seating, only current law students and law school graduates can register for the event.

Click Here to Register

Description:

This event will provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the bar examination.

Featured Speakers:

Rodney O. Fong
Assistant Dean for Bar Exam Services
Golden Gate School of Law

Fabian Renteria
Staff Attorney
Equal Justice Society

FPOC’s Sponsors:

Willie D. Brown, Jr.

California Minority Counsel Program

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

The California Bar Foundation

Environmental Law Section – State Bar of California

misty m. sanford & Gideon Kracov

Monica M. Ortiz

Juan J. Redin

Norma Nava

Stephen Abreu

Law Offices of Miguel Duarte

Vilma R. Palma-Solana & Anthony Solana, Jr.

Lim, Ruger, & Kim, LLP

Alec Y. Chang

Sunita Bali-Williams

Rodney O. Fong

Bethany and Steve Kristovich