Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities: Ways to Partner with the School of Law
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Adjunct Professor
Interested in teaching a class? Interested in teaching Lawyering Skills? Contact Jerry Organ, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, jmorgan@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4919.
Admissions
Alumni can help recruit new students in a variety of ways, including:
- Traveling to recruitment events regionally and nationally
- Participating in letter-writing, email and phone campaigns to reach out to admitted applicants
- Speaking, mingling and participating on panels at formal admissions events such as the Admitted
- Applicant Programs each spring
- Contributing to marketing pieces through the use of profiles, photos and testimonials
- Responding to ad-hoc questions from applicants about specific areas of practice or other individual informational requests
One of the most important things you can do for admissions is to provide timely and accurate information to the Office of Career and Professional Development. Prospective students want to know where our alumni are working and what practice areas are represented. We want our marketing materials to contain up-to-date and accurate information.
Please help admissions by completing surveys from the law school and continuing to support on-campus programming.
To become involved, contact: Cari Haaland, Director of Admissions, clhaaland@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4872
Law Alumni Board Liaisons for Admissions:
Kristi Schlosser-Carlson (2006)
Heather McElroy (2004)
Melanie LaComb (2005)
Alumni Association Committees
In addition to Board positions, the Alumni Association offers graduates other ways to be engaged. You may want to consider becoming a member of the Annual Fund Committee or the Program and Social Committee. In 2008, we will be adding a Reunion Committee. Committee membership is open to any member of the Alumni Association who expresses an interest in the committee.
Annual Fund Committee
The Annual Fund Committee will plan and implement an outreach program in an effort to achieve 100 percent participation from the three classes of graduates (2004, 2005 and 2006). To join, please contact committee co-chairs:
Victoria Jacobson Brenner (vljacobson@stthomas.edu), (612) 348-8607
John Saunders (jnsaunders@cameronlawoffice.com), (612) 41-0394
Program and Social Committee
In addition to annual alumni events (the Swearing-in Breakfast, the Summer Social and the Christmas Celebration), the Program and Social Committee will evaluate other options to maintain a strong sense of community and relationships with UST Law alumni. The committee will also assist with the Alumni Pro Bono Program, working with Volunteer Lawyers Network and Minnesota Justice Foundation. To join, please contact committee co-chairs:
Maggie Skelton (mrskelton@stthomas.edu), (612) 378-5240
Cory R. Wessman (crwessman@stthomas.edu), (612) 27-1166, (612) 335-7079
Alumni Pro Bono Program
UST Law alumni and students, the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) and the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) are working together to support an innovative pro bono program that serves financially disadvantaged clients in the community in which the School of Law is located - Hennepin County. Hennepin County hosts the largest poverty population in Minnesota.
VLN is a Minnesota nonprofit that has been matching pro bono clients with Minnesota attorneys since 1966. VLN screens prospective clients to determine their eligibility and then matches the client to a UST alumnus willing to be responsible for the necessary legal work. The UST lawyer can either undertake the representation him/herself or work with a current UST student on the case. The attorney-student teams may be matched through the Mentor Externship Program or with a student through the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF).
Among the benefits of the Alumni Pro Bono Project, VLN will provide:
- specialized attorneys who serve as resources when questions arise during the representation
- meeting spaces for client meetings
- a database of useful legal forms
- malpractice insurance covering each of the cases
The Project serves clients with a vast array of legal needs, including but not limited to bankruptcy, administrative, family, criminal expungements, civil, probate, real estate, employment, landlord/tenant, and real estate.
This is a unique opportunity to establish another tradition of service at the school of law. If you are interested, contact Lisa Montpetit Brabbit at lmbrabbit@stthomas.edu or 651-962-4871.
Board of Advocates
The Board of Advocates (BOA) is a student organization that oversees all UST Law advocacy competitions. In addition to promoting student participation in existing competitions, the BOA evaluates the many advocacy competition invitations it receives. The board intends to continue expanding the number and variety of advocacy skills-building opportunities available to UST Law students.
Integral to the success of these unique educational opportunities is the participation of volunteer judges, attorneys, law professors and other legal professionals to coach and judge our students.
UST Law students participate currently in these advocacy competitions:
- University of St. Thomas Intramural Moot Court
- William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court
- Evan E. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court
- John Marshall Law School International Moot Court
- The Frederick Douglass Moot Court
- Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court
- National Moot Court
- Negotiation Competition
- Client Counseling Competition
- National Student Mock Trial
For further information about specific competitions and how you can help as a coach and/or judge, please contact:
Bruce Grosland, Faculty Advisor bagrosland@stthomas.edu, (651) 962-4993 or (320) 267-7016
Law Alumni Board Liaisons:
Somah Yarney (2004)
John Nesse (2004)
Career and Professional Development
The Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD) has a number of volunteer opportunities for alumni:
- Informational Interviews - When students want to learn more about an area of law, a type of practice, or an employer, CPD introduces them to alumni who can answer their questions. Whether you just graduated, have practiced for several years or have used your law degree in a non-traditional way, your perspective is valuable to a law student.
- Alumni Advice and Inspiration - With more alumni in the work force, UST Law tries to showcase the myriad of options available to graduates. If you are willing to be profiled or have advice you’d like to share, please let CPD know.
- Panel Presentations and Speaking Engagements - The CPD Office hosts a large number of career-related events throughout the academic year. For many of these events we rely on professionals with practical experience like you, who are able to give students current, first-hand information about their area of expertise and your own personal career formation.
- Mock Interviews - To prepare students as they search for jobs, experienced attorneys conduct mock interviews with students and provide them with advice on their job search. If you have experience interviewing law students or law graduates, this is a perfect volunteer opportunity for you.
To assist the Office of Career and Professional Development, contact:
Alanna Moravetz, Director of Career and Professional Development, akmoravetz@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4865.
Law Alumni Board Liaisons:
Sherry Roberg-Perez (2005)
Loddy Tolzmann (2005)
Law Journal
The Law Journal is a student organization that publishes legal scholarship that inspires ethical and moral decision-making with an emphasis on social justice. The Journal hosts a series of symposia designed to advance UST's mission and explore the theme of faith and justice. The UST
Law Journal formed an Alumni Advisory Board in 2006 in an effort to stay connected with alumni and provide an avenue for alumni to continue to contribute to the Journal's success.
Law Journal alumni may volunteer to serve on the UST Law Journal Alumni Advisory Board, participate in alumni panels and donate to the Journal.
Law Alumni Board Liaison for Law Journal:
Gina Jensen (2005)
Mentor Externship Program
Feeling more comfortable in your work as a lawyer? Wanting to share your wisdom, knowledge and insight with a UST Law student? Volunteer to serve as a mentor!
To become involved, contact: Dave Bateson, Director of Mentor Externship, dmbateson@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4979.
Law Alumni Board Liaisons for the Mentor Externship Program:
Bill Josten (2006)
Emily Kennedy Peterson (2005)
Public Service Day
Alumni are very aware of the “service ethic” actively shared by students, faculty and staff. Each spring alumni are invited back to take part in the Annual University of St. Thomas Law Community Service Day. This day is a great chance for alumni to reconnect with professors and administrators while working along side new students completing a variety of service projects.
Society of the Arches
The Society of the Arches formally acknowledges and recognizes the contribution of alumni volunteers to the University community. Alumni volunteer activity is credited toward achievement levels by semesters of participation. Membership is open to all alumni.
Achievement Levels:
- Socius Incipiens: Discovery recognizes three semesters of volunteer activity.
- Socius Approbatus: Commitment recognizes six semesters of volunteer activity.
- Socius Fidelis: Dedication recognizes 12 semesters of volunteer activity.
- Socius Fidelissimus: Loyalty recognizes 20 semesters of volunteer activity.
