While the law is always constant, the profession is not always so. Embarking upon a legal career can be daunting, but students at Yeshiva University are being awarded the opportunity to enhance their studies as undergraduates while creating lasting connections with already established professionals through a new Pre-Law Mentorship program.
The new Pre-Law Mentorship program at Yeshiva University was developed by the Jacob Hecht Pre-Law Society, the Office of Pre-Law Advisement, and the Career Development Center with help from the Office of Alumni Affairs and Institutional Advancement in order to enhance the studies of students who are pursuing a career in law. The program consists of twenty undergraduate students and twenty lawyers (many of whom are partners at top New York law firms) who will be paired up in a mentor/mentee relationship. The goal is for students to maintain a relationship with their mentor and have the ability to connect with a broad range of lawyers throughout their time at YU and as they progress into the legal field.
The program came about due also to the efforts of many successful YU alumni in the legal world who have consistently offered their guidance to students. The various institutional committees wanted to give students every advantage possible in the struggling legal field. Ariella Hellman Esq, the pre-law advisor on the Wilf campus, regards networking and mentorship as crucial to an aspiring student, explaining that “it is our hope that through this program, our students will make valuable contacts and learn the skills to network effectively later on.” She adds that it is also an “opportunity for students who are not set on law to discuss their options with someone who is currently practicing in the field and to hear differing opinions on the future of the legal profession.”
To augment the already active Student Pre-Law society and Pre-Law Advisement Center, the Pre-Law Mentoring program is running two events designed to help facilitate professional connections between students and alumni of Yeshiva University. The first event at the onset of the program was held this past month and was led by Rebecca Weiler from the Career Development Center, who advised students as to how to manage and take full advantage of the mentor relationship. The second program, “Meet Your Mentors Night”, is scheduled for February 25th. Students will be able to hear first hand from Yeshiva University alumni lawyers participating in a panel discussion on the topic of networking working in the legal field, followed by a mentor reception. Mentors include Joel Strauss ’86YC, ’92C, partner at Kaplan Fox; Amanda Nussbaum ’95S, Partner at Proskauer Rose LLP; and Mark Klein ’88YC, Global General Counsel, Infrastructure and Private Equity, at UBS.
Daniel Danesh ’13YC, co-president of YU’s Jacob Hecht Pre-Law Society, said, “We are appreciative that Yeshiva’s alumni – many of them incredibly successful – are willing to meet and offer guidance to ambitious students. That is what inspired the pre-law society to create this mentoring event, and we look forward to establishing long-term professional relationships with alumni who can assist us in our career goals.”
While the new mentorship program gives pre-law students the tremendous opportunity to gain from seasoned attorneys and advance their own future careers, students as a whole are shying away from the law profession due to the current negative job prospects. Danesh explains that even though the profession is experiencing tough times, the field remains a great one for those who are interested, explaining, “I have seen that students are now taking a more critical look at whether they truly want to be an attorney and commiting accordingly.”
Hannah Dreyfus, SCW ‘14, is equally confident about her future career in law. “As of now, I’m not discouraged by the rather dim prospects in the law field,” admits Dreyfus, a Journalism major, Philosophy minor. Dreyfus is President of the Stern Pre-Law Society, a member of the Cardozo Undergraduate Program, and Vice President of the YU Undergraduate Debate Team. “Truth be told, there are no guarantees in any field of work–the job market is difficult across the board. More important, I believe, is finding your passion, following it, and seeing where life will lead.” Dreyfus says she has a passion for debate, law, and justice and plans on doing what she can to follow those interests. Through the Pre-Law Mentoring program, Dreyfus hopes to be paired up with a lawyer who practices family law or criminal litigation, believing that “there is no better way to gain experience and exposure to the field of law.”