OHIO Alumni Share Law-Related Experience at Pre-Law Days

2016 Pre-Law Day guest attendees

Fourteen alumni returned to Ohio University to share their knowledge and expertise with current students interested in law at Ohio University’s 2016 Pre-Law Days.

Retired Massachusetts Appeals Court Associate Justice and OHIO alum R. Marc Kantrowitz ’72 kicked off the Pre-Law Days with a keynote address on Nov. 3 in Baker Theater.

The event continued on Nov. 4 with concurrent panel discussions where alumni shared personal and professional experience with topics such as persevering in law school, insight into the criminal and corporate world of law, how to pursue one’s dream job or internship, and public interest law.

After the panels, the alumni had the opportunity to hear about law-related student organizations at Ohio University. Representatives from Phi Alpha Delta, Ohio University’s Mock Trial Team, Students Defending Students, and Students for Law, Justice & Culture gave presentations on their respective groups.

“The alumni were really impressed with our knowledge of the rules of evidence, case law, and overall demeanor during the demonstration,” said Sara Sams, a senior in Political Science who helped present for the Mock Trial Team. “Many of the alumni enjoyed the presentation and demonstration, and I think it really helped showcase what we do every day in Mock Trial for the students who saw it and were interested as well.”

The final event of the day was a roundtable discussion in which students were able to talk to alumni about contemporary legal topics. The topics covered legal issues in the 2016 election, this year at the Supreme Court, the danger of false confessions, and the life of a law student.

Brendan Margolies, a senior with a major in Journalism, said the event was “a great opportunity to network and communicate with experts in our desired fields—it exemplifies the kind of interactions that the CLJC loves to facilitate.”

“The Ohio University Alumni are always so willing to lend a helping hand and provide insight,” remarked Kayla Swann, a junior with a double-major in Political Science Pre-Law and Sociology-Criminology. “I loved the roundtable discussions. It gave me a chance to not only learn from alumni, but also from other students.”

The alumni panelists’ variety of careers reflect the versatility of a JD, both inside and outside the courtroom. Alumni panelists who made 2016 Pre-Law Day such a success are:

• Bill Damschroder—Supervising Attorney at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
• Rob Dorans—Legal Counsel for Affiliated Construction Trades of Ohio
• Charles Dyas—Of Counsel Member of Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, Columbus, Ohio
• Joseph Gibson—Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Franklin County, Ohio, and Special Assistant United States Attorney
• R. Marc Kantrowitz—Retired Associate Justice, Boston, Massachusetts
• Jack Kluznik—Partner with Weston Hurd, LLP; Chair of Litigation, Cleveland, Ohio
• Judge Patrick Lang—Judge of Athens County Court of Common Pleas
• Jacqueline Mayer—Prosecutor for Fayette County, Kentucky Attorney
• Tracy Meek—Chief Prosecutor for the City of Athens, Ohio
• Olayemi Olurin—Law Student at St. John’s University Law School, New York City
• John Rubis—Litigation Attorney at Ritzler, Coughlin & Paglia, Cleveland, Ohio
• Marisa Saber—Member at Cozen O’Connor, Chicago, Illinois
• Micah Siegal—Assistant General Counsel to Fuyao Glass America, Inc., Dayton, Ohio
• John Stember—Stember, Cohn & Davidson-Welling, LLC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This year’s Pre-Law Day was sponsored by the Center for Law, Justice & Culture.