MSU Law incoming class arrives for orientation and service projects

EAST LANSING, MI -- Michigan State University College of Law welcomed the Class of 2013, who arrived August 17th to begin their law school careers at Orientation 2010. Incoming students spent several days becoming familiar with the resources and services available at the Law College, and wrapped up the week with a service project that emphasized the civic responsibility that attorneys have to the community. An integral part of MSU Law's orientation program for the third consecutive year, the service project provides much-needed help to local non-profit organizations while teaching students about the important services that these agencies offer and the ways in which the legal community contributes to them. All incoming students volunteered their time at 18 sites throughout the area on Saturday, August 21. Activities included landscaping and cleaning projects for Gateway Community Services, Potter Park Zoo, and Ronald McDonald House; sorting food donations for Mid-Michigan Food Bank; minor building and site preparation projects for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Ingham County; and more. Dean Joan Howarth and 11 faculty members participated, while 35 student organization leaders served as site leaders and coordinated activities throughout the day. Students, faculty, and staff reconvened at the Law College following the service project for a Welcome Barbeque. ''We are pleased to welcome our incoming class and proud to serve our community while helping instill an ethic of public service in those just beginning their journey at MSU Law,'' said Dean Howarth. ''We encourage our students to carry on the Law College's commitment to service throughout their legal education and careers.'' Other orientation highlights included a welcome session by Dean Howarth, an introduction to the legal system by Associate Dean Charles Ten Brink, and a mock class by Professor Catherine Grosso. On Wednesday, August 18, students took part in a State Bar of Michigan ''Professionalism in Action'' program, in which members of the judiciary and the bar lead small group discussions about real-world ethical dilemmas and professional conduct. The Honorable Karen M. Fort Hood, '89, the first African American woman ever elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals, served as the program facilitator. This year's incoming class of Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidates includes 299 students from 26 states and six countries; 164 undergraduate institutions are represented. The class has a median Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score of 157 and a median undergraduate grade point average of 3.52. MSU College of Law is also pleased to announce the largest-ever class of students entering its one-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) for Foreign-Educated Lawyers Program, which is specially designed for those who received their legal training in a foreign jurisdiction. A total of 58 new LL.M. candidates will begin their studies at MSU Law this year. This year's LL.M. class represents 28 countries, with the highest numbers coming from Saudi Arabia, China, India, Pakistan, and Korea. MSU Law faculty and staff welcome our incoming J.D. and LL.M. students and wish them all the best on their academic endeavors. Editor's note: The law students at Potter Park Zoo helped in the search for the missing peregrine falcon rather than planting and digging. Demonstrating the eye for detail needed by lawyers, they spotted the falcon 60 feet up on a dead branch, which was "amazing since most of them didn't know what a peregrine falcon looked like," said Dennis Laidler, Education Curator for the zoo. The falcon has since been returned to its aviary at the zoo. Published: Thu, Sep 2, 2010

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