The business building sustained an argument from senior cinema and media arts majors Selah Crisp and Sofia Silva on Monday night: that the pre-law club will foster a community of students pursuing a legal career.
That’s an excerpt from the club’s mission statement, which was delivered by co-presidents Crisp and Silva to a group of aspiring lawyers at the fledgling club’s first meeting. A smattering of students from different majors and grades gathered to hear about Crisp and Silva’s vision for the club and its future activities.
“I’m really appreciative,” said sophomore political science major Chayila Kleist. “I have a specific desire to go into law, but sort of vague ideas of I’m supposed to get there. There’s a middle step for me, which is probably going to be law enforcement before law. But things like studying for the LSAT and knowing that there’s five sections and being able to have a group of people from various backgrounds and perspectives that are going to talk about that is a really good resource to have.”
PRE-LAW CLUB PRECURSORS
The club began after Crisp and Silva spoke to an entertainment attorney who advised them to become a part of their school’s pre-law club as preparation for law school. Biola didn’t have one, so the two students made their own. Crisp and Silva have navigated LSAT preparation and career planning, but see the club as a resource for students who are in the same place as they were in their days as prospecting underclassmen.
“Our vision is just to have a space and a place to meet for students from any major wanting to go into any area of law,” Crisp said. “And to be able to provide them with any information that they need to pursue law school and a legal career beyond that. To be able to give them a place to talk about current events, things that they might be wondering—stuff that we weren’t able to have when we decided that we wanted to go into law.”
LOCAL EXPERTISE
Over the rest of the semester, the society plans to reach out to students at law schools in the area for a panel discussion that reveals what it means to be a law student. It also intends to connect students with expertise from the many former lawyers who teach at Biola.
“At Biola, we’re all trying to be light in the world,” Silva said. “I think this is a way to train and build up people to be able to do that.”
