Our Interview With Meghan Kozal Riehm, Assistant Director of Admissions at Minnesota Pre-Law Scholars Program

‍Juris Education interviewed Meghan Kozal Riehm, Assistant Director of Admissions at Minnesota Pre-Law Scholars Program, for an exclusive look at what sets the school's Pre-Law Scholars program apart.‍

What makes University of Minnesota's Pre-Law Scholars (MPLS) Program uniquely valuable for aspiring law students?

The Minnesota Pre-Law Scholars Program (MPLS) offers two free, virtual tracks for participation. Track one offers a select number of students a free virtual LSAT prep class each summer with an industry leading LSAT prep program, 7Sage. Students have averaged a 7-10 point increase from their initial test to their final test the past three summers, which can make a tremendous difference in admission chances, scholarship awards and more. Students will also participate in sessions about law school admissions preparation from Minnesota Law School staff and career exploration from Minnesota Law alumni. Track two includes the admissions and career sessions and can be either directly applied to or potentially offered to those who were not accepted into track one. Participants from the program have overwhelmingly said that the program made them more prepared to apply to law school, and we have many alumni of the program in some of the top law schools across the country. What is particularly nice about the format is that all program offerings are in the evenings and held virtually, so you can join in from across the country and still hold a job, internship, or complete classes over the summer while being a participant in the program.

How does your program prepare students for the realities of law school and the legal field?

One of my favorite sessions we hold in the summer is our current law student panel. This past summer we had five wonderful current law students answer any questions the participants had about what life as a law student actually looks like. This included aspects such as the recent changes in law firm hiring, financial balances for someone looking to pursue public interest, work-life balance in law school, and how they approached choosing a law school. We also always have a judicial clerkship, public interest and Big Law speaker or panel that includes alumni who can speak to what a day-in-the-life looks like in their career path, as well as what steps they took in law school to set themselves up for success. As our program seeks to especially support folks who might not otherwise have the access to talk to practicing attorneys or current law students, these sessions are a great way to break down barriers, make the field more approachable, and set them up for success going into their admissions cycle.

Juris Education is proud to interview experts at the nation's most renowned law schools for insights on what makes their programs unique and how they shape career-ready law students.