As admissions officers reflect on the cycle just past (well, nearly), a panel of prelaw advisors will provide insights from their perspective on applicants’ experiences. This will be a helpful opportunity to learn more about how the timing of the cycle, changes to application material, and other factors affected candidates in the past year. What worked? How can we do better? How can we help prelaw advisors assist candidates through this stressful process?
Patrice Barley is the Academic Dean & Pre-Law Advisor at Duke University, where she also serves as the advisor for Bench & Bar (Duke’s Undergraduate Pre-Law Society) and the newly-formed Black Pre-Law Society. Outside of Duke, Patrice is the Vice President of the Southern Association of Pre-Law Advisors (SAPLA), a member of the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) Inaugural Prelaw Advisor’s Committee, a member of the Marketing & Outreach Committee for the Pre-Law Advisors National Council (PLANC) 2024 Quadrennial Conference, and a co-founder of a group that brings together Black pre-law advisors around the country.
Before becoming Duke’s pre-law advisor, she served as the Assistant Director of Admissions & Coordinator of Diversity Recruitment at Duke University School of Law. While at Duke Law, she taught LSAT prep during the summers in the Duke Law PLUS Program (now known as the Duke PreLaw Fellowship Program) and served on LSAC’s Assessment Committee. Patrice has over 15 years of experience in higher education, including international education, diversity recruitment, law school admissions, college advising, and pre-law advising. Prior to her career in higher education, she was an estate planning attorney in North Carolina. Patrice earned her J.D. from Duke University School of Law and B.A. in Psychology and French from Swarthmore College.
What is your advising philosophy?
In a single sentence, “Let’s figure this out together.”
Advising is an intentional guidance process. As an advisor, I believe it is my role to serve as a soundboard for students and assist them as they embrace exploration and take ownership of their academic path. I strive to help students achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals while sharing my perspective, insight and experience. My goal is to help all students develop the necessary skills and confidence to be successful in life and in the classroom.
What was your path to Newnan?
After completing my undergraduate studies, I took a gap year. I worked in public relations where I helped open a center for autism in the Ozarks. After my gap year, I went to law school. As soon as I received my law license, I started practicing law and teaching part-time at a law school. After working in the legal field for several years in traditional and non-traditional roles, I decided to make the transition to working full-time in higher education. I started here at Newnan in September 2021.
Why did you join Newnan?
I wanted to utilize my legal training, make a difference in people’s lives, and work with amazing coworkers…Newnan is the perfect place to do that!
Class you loved and why?
My favorite “course” was my internship with the Michigan Supreme Court. It was an eye-opening experience to see the appellate process in action and learn how the legal system functions.
Interests and hobbies:
I enjoy walking aimlessly and listening to podcasts. In my spare time, I am learning French.
Larry Hayman, Esq. is Director of Legal Engagement & Pre-Law Program at the Center for Law, Justice & Culture and the Center for Advising, Career and Experiential Learning, where he works with students interested in pursuing law school. Before joining Ohio University, he was a managing attorney at The Law Firm of Hayman & Kelley, and later, Hayman Law, LLC in Columbus, Ohio, where he focused his practice on election law and education law matters. Larry has held leadership positions in the Columbus Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Midwest Association of Pre-Law Advisors, Pre-Law Advisors National Council and in 2018, was selected to become an Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellow. He is licensed to practice law in Ohio as well as before the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Mark Hill is Assistant Dean for Admissions at Duke Law School. He graduated from Duke in 1994 with a BA in cultural anthropology, and returned to work at the law school in 2002. He began his higher education career at Northwestern University, where he also earned an MSEd with a concentration in higher education administration. Mark is an active volunteer with the Law School Admission Council, presenting on the admission process at forums for prospective applicants and previously serving on the Services & Programs Committee and the Subcommittee for Misconduct & Irregularity in the Admissions Process. He is program chair for the AALS section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School.
Isabelle Ramos is the director of the Pre-Law program and is dedicated to helping students of all majors prepare for success in the law school admission process. Isabelle offers individual advising consultations as well as educational information sessions on how to prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and strategies for the law school search and application process. Previously, Isabelle was an ambassador and assistant director for diversity initiatives at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) where she collaborated with law schools, allied organizations, and pre-law advisors on increasing the number of underrepresented students in law school. Prior to joining LSAC Isabelle was the assistant director for admissions at Cornell Law school where she coordinated diversity outreach and pipeline programs.
Isabelle earned her bachelor’s degree in public affairs with a concentration in ethics and philosophy from Wells College and her juris doctor from Northeastern University School of Law. She interned with Hillary R. Clinton in Washington, DC in 2004 and completed four legal co-ops with civil rights and social justice organizations while in law school. Isabelle is a member of the New York Bar and previously served on the Tompkins County Human Rights Commission.
