Metadata
Title
Law
Category
general
UUID
55985fdc6c214122804745a61b7dffdb
Source URL
https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/careers-in/law/
Parent URL
https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T07:38:44+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Law

Source: https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/careers-in/law/ Parent: https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/

Law

The Careers in Law program offers students , workshops, panels, , , and more so that you can explore the various career paths within the legal field and determine whether a career in law is right for you. The program also helps students and alumni prepare strong, successful applications to law school.

UChicago students and alumni from a variety of majors have found the study and practice of law to be greatly rewarding. Careers in Law resources are open to all students and alumni of the College who are interested in exploring a career in the legal field. We look forward to working with you!

Resources to Get Started

Sign up for the Careers in Law listhost

Careers in Law Advising

Is law school the right path for me? How do I find out about what lawyers actually do? What steps can I take to better understand the legal profession and position myself to be a strong applicant for law school?

Whether you are thinking about law for the first time or know exactly what you want to do with your law degree, meet with a member of the Careers in Law team to receive an individualized roadmap to your career goals.

Set up an in-person or virtual advising appointment with Program Director Priya Laroia or Assistant Director Ben Morris-Levenson through UChicago Handshake.

Preparing for Law School

The Careers In Law strategically prepares students for law school by offering test preparation, guidance on selecting the right school, and visits to various law schools.

Law School Application Advising

We are here to support current students and alumni through every step of the law school application process! Check out the law school application timeline and meet with a Careers in Law adviser to review your materials, including the personal statement, and to develop an application strategy.

Set up an in-person or virtual advising appointment with Program Director Priya Laroia or Assistant Director Ben Morris-Levenson through UChicago Handshake.

Law School Visits

Admissions representatives from top law schools around the country visit UChicago each fall to help students learn more about specific schools and gain insight into the application process.

LSAT Prep Course

UChicago partners with Blueprint to provide discounted access to Blueprint’s LSAT prep courses. Find out more about Blueprint’s approach to LSAT preparation here, and reach out to Priya Laroia at plaroia@uchicago.edu for the current discount and instructions on registering for a course at the discounted rate.

UChicago Law School Open House

Each year, UChicago students interested in the UChicago Law School have the opportunity to meet with an admissions representative, attend a law school class, and visit with current students at the UChicago Law School Open House.

Experiential Learning in Law

Through the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program, students have the opportunity to work with and learn from working lawyers. College-sponsored and employer-sponsored law internships range from major law firms to public defenders’ offices to federal agencies.

Students who secure unpaid internships on their own can apply for Career Advancement internship grants.

If you have questions about identifying and applying for law-related jobs and internships, set up an appointment with one of our Careers in Law advisers.

Shadow an alumni in the legal field in-person or virtually for one to five days during the academic break periods and throughout the year through UChicago’s Job Shadowing Program. Shadowing a legal professional is a great way to build your professional skills and resume and to see if a particular career path is right for you.

Each year, Careers in Law organizes in Chicago and other cities, providing students with the opportunity to visit large law firms, government offices, nonprofits, judges, public defenders, and more. By participating in a law trek, you will have the opportunity to learn about what the practice of law entails and make valuable connections with alumni and other attorneys.

More than fifty lawyers participate in College-sponsored programming each year, enabling students to learn about specific practice areas in law as they begin to make career decisions. Learn more about exploring careers in law.

Workshops, Seminars, and Programs

The Careers In Law Program offers a wide range of workshops, seminars, and programs to guide students interested in various legal careers. These provide insights into the legal field and offer real-world scenarios to enhance learning. Participants gain valuable skills such as legal writing, argumentation, and critical thinking, crucial for success in law school and beyond. Workshops and seminars are held through out the year so sign up for the Careers In Law listhost

Careers in Law offers a legal research and writing seminar to jumpstart students’ knowledge of legal resources, research techniques, and legal memo writing.

Chicago Law Scholars Program

The Chicago Law Scholars Program (CLS) is a binding early decision opportunity to attend the UChicago Law School available only to alumni of the College and to current fourth-year students. This program encourages College students and alumni to remain part of the UChicago community by providing applicants an early decision in the law school admissions process, as well as the prospect of substantial merit scholarships.

Applicants must complete the application by December 1st and will receive an admissions decision by the end of December. Students admitted through CLS will be awarded a merit scholarship of at least $150,000.00 over three years. Applicants not admitted through the CLS program will be considered through the regular decision process. Please speak with a Careers in Law adviser if you have questions.

Find out more about the UChicago Law Scholars program here.

Rising Attorneys Program

The Careers in Law team is proud to offer the Rising Attorneys Program, dedicated to promoting the success of future law students with a special focus on issues relevant to those from low-income families. The program is open to all rising third- and fourth-year students and recent alumni planning to apply to law school within the next five years who can commit to taking the LSAT during the next year. Cohort benefits include a free LSAT prep course, a mentor currently working in the legal field, LSAT registration reimbursement, and access to presentations and programs during the academic year focused on how to succeed in law school. Applications open each year at the beginning of the spring quarter, with each year’s program starting in June and ending one year later. Please reach out to Priya Laroia at plaroia@uchicago.edu.

Law & Politics Track

The Law & Politics track is a selective, one-year program offered to rising second-, third-, and fourth-year students interested in attending law school to launch a career in politics. Selected students will receive specialized advising, mentorship from professionals in the field, and targeted programming. The track will culminate with each student presenting an individual or small-group capstone project such as a campaign speech, mock press conference, or debate.

This program is offered in coordination with campus partners including the Office of Civic Engagement, the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse, and the Institute of Politics. Applications will open during the spring quarter.

Careers in Law Team

Students and alumni can schedule an appointment with our team of dedicated advisers through Handshake, or reach out at the contact information below.

Priya Laroia, JD, MLA\ Program Director, Careers in Law\ plaroia@uchicago.edu

Priya is excited to support students and alumni on their journeys to finding fulfilling careers in the legal field. She has worked extensively in Chicago’s non-profit sector and in both secondary and higher education. Having taken an nontraditional path after receiving her BA from Northwestern and her JD from UChicago, Priya enjoys working with students to find creative ways to hone and apply their legal skills in areas that interest them. In her free time, she loves reading, talking long walks, and spending time with her family.

Ben Morris-Levenson, AB'11, JD\ Assistant Director, Careers in Law\ bmorrislevenson@uchicago.edu

Ben is eager to support UChicago students and alumni interested in careers in law. He has experience working in corporate litigation and in the government at both local and federal levels. Ben received his bachelor's degree in political science from the College and his JD from Harvard Law School. He enjoys traveling, reading, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

UChicago Careers in Law Advisory Council

The UChicago Careers in Law Advisory Council is a committee of experts in the legal field who advise the Careers in Law team on how to best serve the pre-law student population at the University of Chicago.

Leslie Hairston is a government relations strategist and attorney with over 25 years of experience in city government. Leslie was the 5th Ward Alderman from 1999-2023, elected by Chicago voters to serve six four-year terms and represented one of Chicago’s 50 legislative wards comprised of approximately 55,000 residents. Leslie has held various roles with the State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, including her current role as Director of Recruitment and her previous positions as staff attorney and Special Prosecutor. Leslie previously worked in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General as an Assistant A.G. Leslie received her BA from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law.

Diana Doyle recently finished a 15-year run as chair of Latham & Watkins’ Chicago Tax Department, where her practice focuses on tax planning for multinational companies, with an emphasis on private and public company mergers and acquisitions and international joint ventures. \ \ She has advised domestic and international companies on such matters as structuring taxable and tax-free stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, cross-border migrations, tax-free reorganizations and spin-offs, securities offerings, limited liability company agreements and partnership tax. Ms. Doyle also has significant experience with tax audits, administrative appeals and litigation. \ \ Ms. Doyle serves as a member of and is a past chair of the planning committee for the University of Chicago Tax Conference, is a yearly contributor to this seminar, and is a frequent writer and speaker on a variety of tax topics. \ \ Chambers USA consistently ranks Ms. Doyle for her efforts in the Tax practice, and she has been recognized by The Legal 500 for her work in the US Taxes: Non-Contentious practice. She is a past member of Latham’s global Strategic Initiatives Committee, a past board member of the Chicago- based Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law and a past Advisory Board member of Latham’s Women Enriching Business (WEB) initiative. \ \ Education:\ JD, University of Chicago Law School, 1996 \ BS, Northwestern University, 1988

Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic

Mark N. Templeton is Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic, a Member of the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization (CEGU), and a Research Affiliate of the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC).\ \ Previously, Professor Templeton was a Trustee and Executive Director of the Office of Independent Trustees for the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust. He served as the cabinet-level Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, leading the state’s efforts in energy, environmental protection, state parks, and water resources, while overseeing a staff of approximately 1750 FTEs and a $310 million annual budget.\ \ From 2005 to 2009, Professor Templeton served as Associate Dean and COO at Yale Law School. From 2001 to 2005, he developed environmental and sustainability strategies at McKinsey & Company, among other projects. Prior to joining McKinsey, Professor Templeton was Special Assistant and Senior Adviser to the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and an adviser to the US Delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights. He was a Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs from 1994 to 1996.\ \ Professor Templeton earned an AB, magna cum laude, in Social Studies from Harvard College in 1994 and a JD from Yale Law School in 1999.\ \ Professor Templeton serves as a board member of the Environmental Law Institute, a board member and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and Chair of the Conservation and Policy Council of the Cook County Forest Preserves. He has earned the rank of Shodan (first-degree black belt) in Shotokan karate.

Assistant Instructional Professor, Law, Letters, and Society\ University of Chicago

Jared is a historian of law and capitalism with particular interest in the history of corporations. Currently, he is working on a book manuscript, provisionally titled Creature of Capitalism: A Legal History of Corporate Personhood in Nineteenth Century America, which tells the story of how the law of corporate personhood changed from an instrument of regulation to a source of corporate power. He received his PhD in History from Brandeis University, JD/MA from Rutgers School of Law-Camden, and BA from Rutgers College. Prior to joining the Law, Letters, and Society Program, he served as a lecturer at Brandeis where he taught classes in American legal history, the history of capitalism, and writing. His work has been supported by the William Nelson Cromwell Foundation, the American Society for Legal History, and the Business History Conference.

*JD Candidate, Class of 2028\ University of Chicago Law School\ *Akshaj Dwivedula (AB'24, MA'25) is a J.D. candidate at the University of Chicago Law School and a graduate of both the College at the University of Chicago, where he studied Economics and Creative Writing, as well as the Division of the Social Sciences, where he specialized in Economics. Most recently, he conducted research with faculty at UChicago focusing on econometrics and statistical modeling. Before that, he has worked as a research assistant on topics such as behavioral economics, the legal fee market, and the psychology of conversation. Looking forward, Akshaj hopes to explore the intersections of financial markets and the law. He is originally from San Jose, CA and in his free time, enjoys reading, writing, and the San Francisco 49ers.

Questions?

Please contact Priya Laroia at plaroia@uchicago.edu.