Panelists to inform interested students about careers in law

By Wendy Arquilla

Anyone interested in the experiences of law school can find out more at a panel discussion tonight.

The Hispanic Law Student Association of the NIU College of Law is sponsoring a panel discussion, “The Law School Experience: Before, During and After.”

The panel will be held tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Moot Court Room in Swen Parson Hall. A reception will be held before the panel discussion at 6 p.m.

“The panel is something the association had wanted to participate in and bring to the students in the area,” said Maria del Carmen Rodriguez, public relations officer for the Hispanic Law Student Association.

She said the panelists will share their experiences they have had getting into law schools, going through the education process and making progress in the field of law.

“The panelists were chosen on there accomplishments and their standing in the community,” Rodriguez said.

The panelists include Judge Keith Brown, a law graduate from Drake University, and Kane County Associate Judge David Delgado, a newly-elected Circuit Court judge, and Guadalupe Luna, a law graduate from the University of Minnesota and an NIU law professor.

Rounding out the panel will be three Chicago attorneys. Ramon Ocasio, a criminal attorney from the Attorney General’s Office, James D. Rosas, an experienced attorney in both civil and criminal law and Juan Soliz, attorney and member of the General Assembly in Springfield.

“We want to show those interested in pursuing a law career that it’s possible to get through obstacles. The panelists are representatives of what determination and persistence can achieve,” Rodriguez said.

She said that they’re hoping to reach not only minorities interested in law, but everyone, including high school students. “The panel will give individuals a basis of where to begin in their law careers and will inspire and motivate them to work hard to achieve their goals,” Rodriguez said.