Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thu, 10 Nov 2011
Earlier this fall, the 2011 American Bar Association (ABA) Fall Leadership Summit was held at the Charleston School of Law where every state in the Fourth Circuit (VA, WV, NC, SC) was represented by at least one school. Alexandra Shubert (SBA President and Class of 2012), Rachel Devamithran (2L Senator and Class of 2013), and Brent Cole (ABA Representative and Class of 2012) represented Liberty University School of Law. The weekend summit was held near the end of October and marked the first opportunity for Liberty students to interact with the new ABA leadership from the Fourth Circuit, as well as, ABA leaders from the national level. The Fifth and Sixth Circuits were also represented.
The sessions during the conference were comprised of speaker panels featuring national and local presenters, as well as, attorneys from the Charleston area. Many sessions throughout the conference offered advice on how to find success in law school, insight into the legal profession, and business. Additional topics discussed included how to open a solo practice, maintaining a quality of life in law school and in practice, and etiquette with current or prospective clients and employers. During the question and answer session, many participants inquired about networking in a less than favorable job market. Many speakers responded by saying students need to get involved in local bar associations, civic organizations, and put in the after hours leg work to meet employers and clients.
“The conference was a great opportunity for Liberty to continue to have a face in the ABA and at their events. Many schools just as new as Liberty have students in key leadership positions with the ABA and I have no doubt that Liberty students could and should occupy some of those positions in future,” said Brent Cole.
According to Mathew Staver, Dean and Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law, “Our law students have excellent opportunities to get involved with the ABA as circuit and national leaders. The individuals who run and are elected to ABA leadership positions are now able to vote and directly affect the policy decisions of the ABA.”
Liberty University School of Law is committed to academic and professional excellence in the context of the Christian intellectual tradition. For more information about the law school or future events at the law school please visit www.law.liberty.edu or call 434-592-5300.