This being my first recruiting season, I have so much to talk about!

My travels took me all over New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and California. I met some of the most intelligent, inquisitive, and insightful individuals. The level of preparation and depth of conversation was a bit surprising. I have seen the commitment that our current students have for advocating social change and the high level involvement on campus in projects and movements that make the world a better place. Upon reflection, I should have expected nothing less!

One of the reasons I am thrilled to be in this position, is that I travel and talk to prospective applicants all over the country (and world) about my experiences at VLS. Due to my belief in this institution and the mission and values it holds, I stand by the fact that we do produce individuals prepared the make social change a reality on various levels and in many disciplines. I never expected to “sell” the school, and in fact, the school does a wonderful job marketing itself through the achievements of our faculty, the work of our current students and alum, and the expertise of our administration.

The town of South Royalton needs a boost for the weary (especially after I am asked the population); however, the charm of the town takes care of that with one visit!

I am very excited to start reviewing applications. It always puts a smile on my face when I recognize a name from a fair and/or school I’ve visited.

I hope that the prospective applicants had as much fun learning about VLS as I did learning about them. My intuition tells me that if the applicant pool resembles the types of people I’ve met this fall, we are in for some hard decisions, and an amazing entering class of 2010.

• Written Out: How Sexuality is Used to Attack Women’s Organizing;
• Strengthening Resistance: Confronting Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS;
• Amnesty  International’s Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence: Torture and
  Ill-Treatment Based on Sexual Identity;
• several recently published articles on sexual rights, including
  “Abstinence Goes Global: The United States, the Right Wing, and Human Rights”, and
• “Not Your Average Sex Story: Critical Issues in Recent Reporting on Human Rights and Sexuality”

First of all, the Open House was fantastic.  Despite heavy rain from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ida, we had a record number of enthusiastic participants.  Thanks to the VLS staff, students and faculty for your assistance.

Each year at VLS we have a tradition of hosting and sponsoring a community Thanksgiving dinner.  This is the email invitation that went out to the VLS community this week.

We are all back in the office this week to organize the Open House on Saturday.  Fingers are crossed for a perfect day.

First of all, we have had to move the campus location because of the large number of rsvp’s.  What a great problem!  Usually we have about 60 participants; this year we are anticipating well over 120.  I think the excellent response is due to moving the date from late October to mid-November and people have had a couple more weeks to be thinking about law schools.

The program is excellent.  During registration, we have currently enrolled students giving campus tours.  We have had so many students volunteer to be tour guides that we have had to turn some away.  First on the program, Prof. Latham is doing a short mock class.  He will introduce a case and then ask quesions of the participants.  This always gets people loosened up and interactive for the remainder of the day.  Then we talk about the biggest academic programs on the campus:  Environmental Law, International and Comparative Law and the Clinics and Experiential programs.

Lunch is always excellent.  Our cafe’ staff make incredible soups (vegetarian of course) and we spread out the ingredients for people to make their own sandwiches or salads.  Excellent home-made cookies round out the meal – yes, chocolate is a food group in Vermont!  Most of the ingredients for our meals come from local farms, so they are fresh and flavorful.

After lunch, I am leading the admissions and financial aid conversation, which usually lasts a bit over an hour, depending upon the number of questions.  And then, people just hang around and talk and talk and talk . . .

The weather is predicted to be excellent; you never can tell in November.

If you are interested in the Open House, just call the office to RSVP.  We need head counts for the food.

See everyone on Saturday.

It is now November 3rd, the first work day since the time change.  I must say that the hardest adjustment I had to make when I moved from Florida to Vermont was how early it gets dark.  It is 4:39 and the sky is dusk.  By 5:00 it will be completely dark – and it will only get darker of the next 7 weeks.  We are now paying the price for the 9:00 evenings of summer.  This too shall pass . . . the cycle of the seasons.

We had incredible wind and rain on Saturday night, the leaves are completely blown away and we have entered stick season – that brown flat period before the snow truly begins to cover us up.  I can’t believe that I am saying this, but I am ready for snow and winter.

Students are hunkered down for the long haul.  If you have been reading their blogs, you can easily see that the euphoria of entering law school has worn off.  Some classes have papers due, others have mid-terms, and final exams are next month.  All I can do is give hugs.

Had a great time last week on the campus of Schneider Univ. in Kerrville, Texas.  Thanks for the warm welcome!  Am off tomorrow for Iowa.

Open House is the 14th.  Info is on the admissions page – we are expecting quite a crowd, the more the merrier!

Yes, I know that I have been very slack the with the blog postings.  The fall is incredibly busy for admissions people because we are traveling all over the country.  Last week was especially cool for me because it was a driving trip rather than dealing with the airlines and I love to drive.

When I have a major driving trip, I always rent a car.  There are not many options in the upper valley, but we have a good Thrifty office in White River Junction – small, but efficient.  It is always a bit of a surprise to see what kind of car they have for me.  This week, I had a candy apple red 2009 mustang – wow!  It was so much fun to drive throughout upstate New York and Pennsylvania.  My biggest challenge was watching the speed limits and keeping an eye on the state police.  A red mustange is the biggest bulls-eye on the road!  It was also amusing to see the reactions when I stopped for gas.  I had more young men come up to the car for a closer look and to ask about it.  When I told my husband about all the attention, he just harrumphed

Tomorrow, I am off to Kerrville Texas to talk with the students at Shreiner University.  Have never visiting that campus, so look forward to meeting the students and faculty.

(This posting is copied from the Albert Schweitzer blog.  Congratulations to Lise!!)

In the fall of 2008, as Vermont Law School student Lise Daniels was beginning her second year of law school, the mother of four saw a need for lower-income legal aid in her rural New Hampshire community. Daniels’ Schweitzer project, which began as an ambitious attempt to open a satellite office for an existing agency (Mascoma Legal Assistance), became the launching of an independent entity, the Mascoma Legal Resource Center, which offers low-income individuals legal information and advice.

I recently finished a recruiting trip in Upstate NY. I made it to Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Cornell, Binghamton, Syracuse, Colgate, Albany, and Potsdam. This was my first “big” trip, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted with an abundance of recognition from the many students I encountered.

I grew up in Albany, so upstate is no stranger to me. I am used to the rural nature settings (similar to VT), the small towns, and large farm machinery that you must pass through while traveling. I heard a few grumbles from recruiters about the tractors they were stuck behind for extended periods of time.

I really met some great students. I was impressed by the direction and vision they had.  I find that generally, individuals that visit the Vermont Law table already have a passion and a plan to manifest this passion into existence. It’s very rare that I get the, Tell me about VLS?, question. I tend to get excited when I do, since it’s so rare! The rewarding aspect about not being asked, is that I can then talk about my experiences as a student, and how VLS helped me achieve my goals and passions.

I am looking forward to my next trip which will take me into the midwest! I will update you from the road!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for instant quick updates!

John

Today was the LSAT exam.  Earlier this week, I posted that we had 74 test takers registered, it was actually 72.  I knew that we had a number of overflow testers from other sites because people were calling from Hanover (Dartmouth) and Boston.  However, when I arrived at the school this morning at 7 am, there was a cab sitting in front of the admissions office.  I walked over to see if I could be of assistance, it was two people from  New York.  Wow, I didn’t think to ask if they were from the city or from upstate.  I sent them up the street for some breakfast before the exam.

We ended up with 64 actually sitting for the exam – and as always, it was very smooth.  We had a late start, just because it takes so long so check in 64 people; between checking ID, signatures and finger printing, we can only move so fast.  Accuracy is more important.  Anyway, the exam started by 9:10 and lasted until about 1:30 – a long morning for all.

The leaves are magnificent.  We have an autumn chill in the air and rain is predicted for the next 6 days.  Summer is over . . . . and the cycle of the seasons of life continue.

Last week I was down in Central Florida – my old stomping grounds – to visit undergraduate campuses.  On one hand, it felt like home again (I did live there for 16 years), but it also felt different.  The construction never ends.  Every place I went was just enough different to be confusing with new buildings, streets and even more traffic congestion.

It was great to renew acquaintances with pre-law advisors, career services officers and faculty; many of whom I have know way too long.  It is also invigorating to talk with new prospects as begin their research about law schools and discover the array of programs at Vermont.   Vermont???  The initial thought of moving from Florida to Vermont is daunting, but what a great adventure!

The September LSAT is this Saturday.  I am the site administrator for VLS; we have 74 registered participants.  Best wishes to all!