Are you considering a career in the legal profession?
Consider this advice from two visiting law professors—attorneys Danielle Conway-Jones of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Edward J. Bronson of the California State University in Chico.
The two said intelligence is not enough for a student to succeed in law school. They say it’s a full-time job that requires hard work, commitment, common sense, a desire for societal change and good analytical skills.
The two said law students lead a very disciplined life that requires a lot of reading.
The two began orienting a group of 20 pre-selected professionals and students who will participate in the four-day “The Law in the Community” lecture series this month. This is a pre-law summer program sponsored by the NMI Council for Humanities and the CNMI Supreme Court.
Conway-Jones, a lawyer based in Hawaii who is also licensed to practice in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and in the military court, said this year’s program aims to introduce students to the study of law and give them practical law school experience.
Conway-Jones, an assistant law professor at the University of Hawaii, said it was her mother who inspired her to become a lawyer. Her mother entered law school at age 46 and graduated four years later. She is currently a judge in Pennsylvania.
“My mom was actually a great motivator. She believes so much in education. Right after she finished (law), I entered into law school and she was really an important motivator for me,” Conway-Jones said.
She said students who want to pursue a law degree should ask themselves why they want to become lawyers.
“My best advice is to know why you want to become a lawyer and understand all the facets of the law not just because it’s a good career and provides good income but because it can make societal changes,” she said.
A juris doctor degree usually takes three years in the U.S. but if a student decides to take additional subjects, the program can be finished within a two-year period.
Conway-Jones is scheduled to make a presentation about minorities and the law, as well as share her experiences as a female African American lawyer—which is considered a minority in the legal profession.
She would also be dealing with torts and its real-life applications to every American citizen.
Conway-Jones has been a lawyer for 10 years now, six years of which were spent as a professor.
“I’m a teacher. My love is not necessarily cases. My love is touching each student in doing their work. I want to keep teaching the law,” she said.
Bronson, for his part, has been visiting Saipan and other nearby islands for the past 25 years doing pre-law lecture series.
Some of his most successful students include attorney Ray Yana, Superior Court Judges Edward Manibusan, Juan Lizama and Robert Naraja.
“I’ve been coming out here for the past 25 years to help local people interested and ready for law school,” Bronson said.
He said the CNMI still needs more lawyers because of its growing population.
“Lawyers are sort of the lubricant of society. We have a world with lots of laws. We have to protect the rights of many people and knowledge of the law is power and it helps in the democratic process. So I think there’s room for a few more lawyers here in the CNMI,” Bronson said.
He said law school entails a very disciplined life. To prepare, aspiring law students should strive to improve themselves by joining extra-curricular activities in school, especially academically enriching activities such as debates.
“Study hard. Be conscientious. Consider the things that you can do. Improve yourself. There are lots of programs in high school and in college that will give you a chance to improve yourself—mock trial, debate, almost any kind of educational experience that broadens you,” Bronson said.
