Newspaper Page Text
November 30, 1984/The Maroon Tiger/Page 13A
Pre-Law Program At Morehouse
By Jerry Drayton, Jr.
So you are thinking about
going to law school. Let me share
some thoughts about your un
dergraduate preparation for law
school.
Recognition of some of the
special needs of the many pre
law students at Morehouse
College resulted in the develop
ment of a pre-law program based
in the Political Science Depart
ment. This program is staffed by
the Director of the Pre-Law
Program. The Director works
closely with pre-law students to
help them plan a pre-law educa
tion and reach decisions about
law school. The Pre-Law Program
has attempted to make as many
resources as possible available
for your use, but the ultimate
responsibility for your
professional school plans rests
with you.
Your undergraduate years will
be a time to explore many
academic fields, to perfect your
learning abilities, and to
demonstrate expertise and ex
perience in a particular field,
usually your major. It has been
said for years that a solid general
liberal education and a study of
western society and culture are
the best preparation for the
study of law, and this advice
remains valid. The Director
hopes to explain what law school
is about, suggest additional
readings, and provide you with
statistical data and information
about your probability of admis
sion at selected law schools. We
cannot tell you whether you will
enjoy law, or whether you
will be a good lawyer, or whether
you will be able to find a job
when you graduate from law
school. The answers to these
questions depend, to a large
extent, on you.
This article is designed to be
used in conjunction with the
Prelaw Handbook published by
the Association of American Law
Schools (AALS) and the Law
School Admission Council
(LSAC). The AALS/LSAC Prelaw
Handbook is revised annually
and is the official guide to all
ABA-approved law schools in
the country. In addition to
individual school profiles, the
book has excellent and essential
discussions of law as a career,
preparation for law school, the
admission process, the law
school experience, and a list of
suggested pre-law readings.
Students who are just beginning
to think of the possibility of
attending law school, as well as
those who are actually applying,
are strongly urged to review the
AALS/LSAC Prelaw Handbook.
The introductory pages of the
Handbook are available as a
handout; we also have reference
copies of the entire book or you
may purchase your own at the
Atlanta University Center
Bookstore.
ADVISING SERVICES
The list below highlights some
of the resources and services you
may wish to use. Please
remember that this is only a
partial list.
Pre-Law Director
-The Pre-Law Director can
answer your questions on a walk-
in basis and can make
arrangements for you to speak
with representatives from local
law schools.
Miscellaneous
-Statistical information on law
school applicants. Each year the
Pre-Law Director receives a
report on Morehouse applicants
to law school from the Law
School Admission Services.
Although the reports are con
fidential, current applicants may
want to discuss the summary
results with the Director.
-Readings. Available for
reference are a binder of law-
related newspaper and
magazine clippings, copies of
the American Bar Association’s
Student Lawyer, and several
good pre-law books.
-Referral to pre-law groups at
Morehouse. Each year a number
of student groups such as the
Atlanta University Center Prelaw
Society host variouse pre-law
activities. Check with the Direc
tor for the names of current
groups and their contact per
sons.
-Past LSAT’s (Law School Ad
mission Test). Copies of past
administrations of the exam,
with answers, are available for
reference in the office of the
Director.
-Registration packets for the
LSAT and LSDAS (Law School
Date Assembly Service).
Information on Individual Law
Schools
-Referral to Morehouse
graduates now attending law
school (approximately 35 names
at 17 different schools; updated
every two years).
-Survey of Morehouse
Graduates in Law School. This
survey, conducted every two
years, is sent to Morehouse
graduates currently enrolled in
law school. The questionnaire is
designed to solicit “insiders”
perspectives on pre-law
preparation and on their respec
tive schools. Many applicants
have found this an invaluable
resources for help in choosing
where to apply and ultimately
where to go.
FACE Provides Service
By David Bishop
News Editor, Panther
People who suffer with
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and
Compulsive Overeating can now
go to a new outpatient clinic in a
residential neighborhood near
Northside Hospital.
Freedom From Addictive and
Compulsive Emotions (FACE) is a
clinic designed to treat patients
with these eating disorders
through the use of a twelve step
approach originated by
Alcoholics Anonymous.
FACE treats Anorexia Nervosa,
Bulimia, the consuming of large
quantities of food and throwing
it up, and Compulsive
Overeating as an addiction
rather than a disease. Patients
receive specialized attention to
their psychological and social
situations as well as their medical
condition.
FACE sees outpatient treat
ment as being relatively new and
that it has evolved only after
years of treatment experience.
"We propose that the treat
ment of eating disorders is
currently in the beginning stages
of an evolutionary process which
will pattern itself after the treat
ment of alcoholism,” according
to a press release from FACE.
Although those with Aneroxia
Nervosa, Bulimia, and Com
pulsive Overeating disorders,
are currently being treated as in
patients for the medical side
effects of their disease at high
costs. FACE has developed an
outpatient program that meets
the needs of a large number of
patients with eating disorders.
“It is felt that rather than
utilizing the more restrictive and
costly forms of treatment... we
can take a giant leap to the least
restrictive, less costly... form of
treatment for these patients,”
says FACE.
At FACE’S halfway house there
is one fundamental rule: NO
FOOD OR DRINK IS ALLOWED
ON THE PREMISES. “That helps
them to recover,” said Barbara
Chelton, wife of FACE'S founder,
Guy Chelton.
“It’s just like an alcohol or
drug program that doesn’t allow
drugs or liquor in the house,”
she added.
All of the patients meals are
obtained from the St. Joseph's
cafeteria or at the FACE clinic at
the Perimeter Professional Plaza.
The patients interact through
rap sessions and communal
meetings after returning from
their regular days activities.
Two patients have dropped
out of the FACE clinic since it
opened, and 16 have completed
an initial month-long treatment.
The treatment, done in
phrases, lasts for a two-year
period. Phase I, stabilization,
lasts three to seven days and
includes psychosocial history,
nutritional assessment, three
meals a day and orientation.
Phases II through IV last three
to four weeks and provides
group therapy, educational
seminars, physical conditioning
and assertiveness training.
Phase V lasts seven weeks and
includes bi-weekly therapy
designed to maintain changes
realized during treatment.
Phase VI, aftercare, entails
weekly group sessions and lasts
three months.
Phase VII, follow-up, lasts 18
months. Here, patients are
evaluated monthly. Quarterly
retreats for reflection and
growth are also scheduled.
-Catalogs and sample applica
tion materials.
PRE LAW EDUCATION
Curricular Choices
Many students ask about
suggestions for planning a pre
law educational program. At
Morehouse, there is no formal
pre-law major, and a pre-law
student, quite simply, isone who
defines himself as such.
Although you may have the
intention of going on to law
school imemdiately upon
graduation, many students do
not reach a decision to apply to
law school until several years
after graduation.
Law Schools do not prefer
students with any specific major.
Beyond a disciplined study of
western civilization, most
schools recommend that
students study and perfect their
skills in English composition and
communication. Words are the
tools of the lawyer, and the
student who can express himself
with confidence and clarity will
be at an advantage. Beginning
with Morehouse’s freshman
composition course, students
should concentrate on develop
ing their writing skills to the
utmost. The importance of good
verbal skills cannot be
overestimated. In conversations
with the Pre-Law Director,
Morehouse students now in law
schools have emphasized the
development of writing as the
number-one priority for pre-law
students.
Most law schools suggest
exposure to other disciplines
which might be useful in the
practice or study of law. Of
increasing importance is an
understanding of basic
economic principles. Other dis
ciplines include statistics, com
puter science, and accounting.
In addition, if you are planning
to practice law in a bilingual or
ethnic community, you may
want to do some university-level
study of the culture and
language of the community in
which you hope to work.
It is strongly suggested that
early on in your Morehouse
Psi Chi
Comes To
By Johnny Crawford
Associate Editor
The first day of November not
only marked the first day of the
month, but also the first day of
the new chapter of Psi Chi
National Honor Society on the
campus of Morehouse College.
Psi Chi is the name of the
prestigious psycology honor
society that is present on many of
the big universities throughout
the United States. This organiza
tion represents psychology ma
jors and students interested in
studying psychology.
"This accomplishment was
welcomed, said Kimblin
Nesmith, a psychology major at
Morehouse.
career you read the introductory
chapters of the AALS/LSAC
Prelaw Handbook. These
chapters provide a very helpful
discussion of undergraduate
curricular options. In anticipa
tion of the great deal of time they
will spend doing legal research,
pre-law students might also
consider enrolling in a basic
course on library resources and
resources methods. In addition,
pre-law students are advised to
take classes in effective study
skills and reading skills, as well as
a course in critical and analytical
reading and writing. The mastery
of these techniques and ap
proaches can be applied at the
undergraduate level as well as in
professional schools.
Most law schools actively
discourage students from taking
too many law classes as un
dergraduates. Law is based upon
sets of fundamental principles
which are reflected in such basic
fields as contracts, torts, criminal
law, constitutional law, property,
and civil procedure. These
courses are almost universally
taught in the first year of law
school. Most law students do not
understand what law is all about
until they get well into the study
of these subjects. Other subjects
in law school are often based
upon varied combinations and
applications of those basic prin
ciples learned in the first year.
The undergraduate student tak
ing a variety of law courses
cannot hope to achieve such an
ordered understanding of the
legal fundamentals. Upon enter
ing law school, students who
have taken such courses may
mistakenly believe that they are
simply relearning what they
already know. In addition, those
students will have less of the
general liberal arts background
which would serve them well in
law school. These reasons,
coupled with the fact that un
necessary duplication of courses
costs you time and money,
indicate that you should be
careful not to overdo the taking
of law courses as an un-
(Continued on Page 15)
Chapter
Morehouse
The qualifications for becom
ing a member of Psi Chi National
Honor Society includes the
following criteria. The student
must have a 3.0 average in the
area of psychology. The student
also must have accumulated at
least eight hours in the area of
psychology, and must be atten
ding an accredited institution.
Morehouse’s Psi Chi officers
are; Clyde Watkings, Jr., presi
dent; Todd Stokes, vice-
president; Ralph Smith,
treasurer and secretary. Other
members include Kimblin Eu
gene Nesmith, President of the
Morehouse Psychology Associa
tion, Dwayne Reed, Adam Smith,
Geary Smith and Michael Kim
ble.