This past October, the St. Robert Bellarmine Pre-Law Society, a part of the Pre-Law Program through the College of Arts and Sciences, held two virtual alumni panels: the Law School Panel and the Areas of the Law Panel, both moderated by Aaron Weinstein, PhD, pre-law advising program director and assistant professor of politics.

“So many of our students are drawn to the law, but they feel overwhelmed when asked what kind of law they want to pursue,” said Dr. Weinstein. “Fairfield is blessed to have legal alumni with both a wide range of expertise as well as a willingness to give back to current Stags.”

To give students a “taste” of different types of law they could one day practice and knowledge of the diverse array of institutions where one could potentially study, the Pre-Law Society invites a wide-range of alumni with various backgrounds to speak to undergraduates.

The Law School Panel was comprised of alumni: Ruth Nadeau Dwyer ’01 (William & Mary), Lisa Ferraro ’85 (Duke), Thomas Keller ’88 (Notre Dame), John A. Mancini ’86 (Georgetown), and Mark Ruddy ’95 (Catholic University of America).

The Areas of the Law Panel included alumni Andrew Buzzi Jr. ’86 (intellectual property), Mark N. Clarke ’93 (high net-worth clients), Nancy Shore DiLella ’88 (FDA and pharmaceutical), and Michael A. Martone ’00 (constitutional law).

“Our panelists gave students a feeling for what it’s like to practice different types of law by relaying their lived experiences as well as explaining their passion for the law itself,” Dr. Weinstein noted. “The event was a tremendous success.”

The St. Robert Bellarmine Pre-Law Society is open to all undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in law. There are also sessions offered to students on how to prepare one’s “Personal Statement” and about LSAT prep courses.

Members have access to regularly scheduled events during the academic year including the Law School Fair and Law School Admissions Panel Discussions. Guest Speakers are often recent Fairfield University alumni who are attending or have attended law school and have embarked on careers in law.

The Pre-Law Program through the College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield prepares undergraduates to think logically, critically, and analytically, and to write and speak clearly and persuasively, while giving students the broad background of learning that is "crucial to a lawyer's practice."

The growing prestige of Fairfield University can be seen in the large numbers of Fairfield alumni who are accepted to the top law schools in the United States and who graduate from those schools with the highest honors.

Learn more about Fairfield University’s Pre-Law Program.