UB Law School Plans Program for Minority High School Students

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- As part of its continuing commitment to diversity, the University at Buffalo Law School will host a visitation program and luncheon for minority high school juniors and seniors who wish to learn more about law school.

The program, marking National Minority Law Student Recruitment Month, will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 16 in the Center for Tomorrow on the UB North Campus.

Following a continental breakfast, Lillie Wiley, the school's assistant director of admissions and director of recruitment, will speak on "Preparing for Law School."

City Court Judge Robert T. Russell will present a keynote address during lunch.

UB Law Professor Wade Newhouse and law student Rashondra Jackson will conduct a mock class on "Law and Public Education." Other presentations and panel discussions will include representatives from various minority student organizations, including the Black, Latino and Asian Law Student Associations.

According to Wiley, "The purpose of the program is to expose promising young scholars to the field of law. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 7 percent of lawyers in the U.S. are from minority groups: 3 percent are African-American, 2 percent Latino and less than 1 percent Asian-American.

"We want to send a strong message to students, faculty, administrators and the legal community: Don't turn back," said Wiley.

"We've come too far to let recent assaults on affirmative action erode efforts to diversity the legal community in America."

National Minority Law Recruitment Month at the University at Buffalo Law School is funded by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to raise awareness of minority recruiting issues facing law schools. The effort comes on the heels of setbacks to affirmative action in major states like California and Texas that have vastly reduced minority representation in entering law school classes.

"The good news is that you see increased numbers of minority students and minority faculty at the nation's law schools, although not enough," said Wiley. "The bad news is that some people believe the tide may be turning against diversity efforts.

"In view of the challenge to affirmative action, we must do more to make people of color know that the law school is a place for them and that we are working hard to achieve a diverse environment on our campuses. The negativity generated by recent news about affirmative action cannot be allowed to foster a perception that law schools have closed their doors to people of color. Legal education is too important to the rights of all Americans to allow this misconception to exist."

Anyone wishing to attend the program should RSVP to Wiley at 645-2907 or email her at lwiley@buffalo.edu by Feb. 6.