Members of the Tufts Lawyers Association (TLA) came back to campus yesterday for the second annual Law Day on the Hill.
"We wanted to bring lawyers together to network and give back to Tufts," TLA founder and President George Hirsch (LA '74) said.
The day began with a series of panel discussions, which according to TLA Vice President William Labovitz (A '90) were attended by between 40 and 70 students.
The keynote address was given by Jeffrey Kindler (LA '77), the senior vice-president and general counsel for Pfizer Inc.
Kinder concentrated on diversity in the legal profession. Kindler was one of 470 business general counsels who signed a statement in support of increased diversity in the law profession.
"We must become a more inclusive group," Kindler said, "and reach out to the best and brightest minds, embracing diversity."
Kindler said diversity not only improved morale at companies but also made for good business. "A workplace that reflects the world at large gives us a keen competitive advantage," he said.
Affirmative action is necessary to counter the effects of networking among similar groups and racism in law, Kindler said. "It's easy to hire a friend of a friend, or someone who looks or talks like you do."
Kindler attended Harvard Law School after graduating from Tufts. He later worked as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice William Brennan and as general counsel for the McDonald's Corporation.
"I was at McDonald's trying to raise the country's cholesterol for six years," Kindler quipped. "Now, I work for Pfizer, whose best-selling drug is [cholesterol reducer] Lipitor."
Kindler said he first became interested in the legal profession in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, where lawyers "restored the public's faith in public institutions."
The need for establishing trust is even greater now, Kindler said. "There does not seem to be an institution in our society that is not embroiled in a crisis."
Never have so many institutions "lost so much trust so quickly," he said. "Maybe it's a good opportunity for lawyers."
"With a law degree," Kindler said, "there are no limits to the way you can contribute to strengthening our public institutions."
Kindler told students that lawyers are not excluded from the day-to-day operations of a business. Pfizer's legal department is "integrated into the core of our business."
The Young Lawyers Panel, the first of the day and moderated by former Wall Street Journal Supreme Court correspondent Stephen Wermiel (LA '72), addressed the transitions between college, law school, and practicing law.
"I wanted to supplement my liberal arts education with something more tangible," panelist Gina Beck (LA '97) said. Beck is currently a student at the Washington College of Law at American University.
"People had always told me that a law degree would give me a sense of flexibility, and that I didn't have to practice if I didn't want to," panelist Joshua Fox (A '98) said. Fox graduated from Harvard Law School and is now a practicing attorney.
The panel was followed by a mock law school class led by President Larry Bacow. According to Debra Curtis (LA '90), Bacow was "a lot nicer" than most law school professors.
Suffolk Law School Dean of Admissions Gail Ellis and Boston University School of Law Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Joan Horgan then answered students' questions about choosing and being admitted to law schools.
Alumni also gave their views on how graduating undergraduates should choose a law school. "[Reputation] was part of it," Fox said. "But I knew that I wanted to be in Boston, and I didn't want to be away from my mom or the Red Sox, so I chose Harvard."
"Location is important because if you know that you want to practice in a certain area after law school, you are more likely to make contacts in that city, and it will be easier to [get a job]," panelist George Hirsch (LA '74) said.
Curtis said the TLA's increased experience and communication from students resulted in an improved program this year. "A lot of the changes we made this year we took from feedback," she said.
One of these improvements was the addition of a talk given by younger lawyers, who Curtis said established "good connections" with the students.
"We had a real full room," he said.
The TLA is beginning a program led by member Amy Brownstein to mentor students interested in the law. While Labovitz said the program is "just getting off the ground," much of the groundwork of matching up lawyers and students of similar interest took place at yesterday's event.
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