People contemplating a change in their lives have traditionally turned to the Extension School to investigate new careers: the Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management (CSS) allows people with little or no experience to acquire an academic background in management, the Health Careers program is designed for college graduates who want to prepare for medical school, and the Certificate in Applied Sciences (CAS) enables students to further their career goals in computer and information technology. But this year, some of Extension's most popular courses have attracted students who are deciding whether law school and the legal profession are right for them.

According to Mary Flaherty, the 97 students in her SSCI E-163/W Introduction to the Law course have enrolled for a variety of reasons. There are international students interested in learning about the legal system in the United States, Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) candidates who need a writing-intensive course, and students who have had personal brushes with the court system themselves (for example, they've been sued or are filing for workman's compensation). However, most students are trying to make a decision about law school and this course "gives them a chance to get their feet wet."

HSCI E-115 Science, Law, and Society, which covers societal influences on the criminal justice system, has attracted law enforcement professionals, people interested in scientific crime detection, and a person who always wanted to "read James M. Cain for credit," in addition to students who might identify themselves as pre-law. Julie Johnson-McGrath, new to Extension teaching this year, is enjoying the course, although she did have to explain that it was not "O.J. 101."

Ellsworth Fersch, a veteran instructor whose courses frequently appear on Extension's Top Ten list, has noticed an additional group of students: those "waiting for the ax to fall." As companies continue to downsize, Dr. Fersch notes that it makes sense for employees to be prepared for the worst and to investigate other career opportunities. Dr. Fersch's PSYC E-1870 Law and Psychology and SSCI E-158c Law and Ethics: Making the Moral Decision provide introductions to the issues involved in a variety of legal and psychiatric fields.

In addition to courses, the Extension School Undergraduate Office provides an assortment of law school information, including law school selection software, LSAT test materials, and law school catalogues, and representatives from several law schools attend the Graduate and Professional School Fair each fall. Extension School ALB graduates who have gone on to law school argue that a "night school" undergraduate degree can be turned into an advantage. Deborah Sughrue, ALB '92, Harvard Law School '95, explains: "I met so many Extension School students who overcame tremendous odds just so they could attend a class, never mind graduate with a bachelor's degree. It's an advantage to have gone to night school; you're telling the admissions office that you've already had the experience of juggling several obligations while completing your education successfully."

For the past six years the Pre-Law Society at the Extension School has provided a forum for students to meet and discuss concerns related to applying to law school. Lawyers from the Greater Boston legal community--including those who have received undergraduate or graduate degrees at the Extension School--have spoken at the group's meetings.

This year, under the leadership of ALB candidate Dale Congo, the Pre-Law Society inaugurated a series of Wednesday evening talks by distinguished members of the Harvard community. Alan M. Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard, will speak on Wednesday, April 17, at 7:30 pm in Emerson Hall 105.

Professor Dershowitz has taught at the Harvard Law School for more than 30 years. The courses he teaches cover criminal law, psychiatry and law, constitutional litigation, family law, comparative criminal law, legal ethics for criminal lawyers, and violence and civil liberties. He has written 12 books, ranging from textbooks in criminal law to the more recent and popular The Abuse Excuse (Little, Brown, 1994), The Advocate's Devil (Warner Books, 1994), and the just-published Reasonable Doubts (Simon and Schuster). The author for nearly a decade of the "Justice" column in Penthouse Magazine, he has also written for The Atlantic, US News and World Report, The New Republic, Harper's, The Nation, and Psychology Today. His newspaper articles have appeared in local, regional, and national publications, as have his book reviews and general commentary.

The officers and directors of the Pre-Law Society welcome all members of the Extension School community to join them on April 17 in hearing one of the University's most distinguished (and publicly visible) teachers. For futher information about the upcoming lecture or the Pre-Law Society call Dale Congo at (617) 837-4043.