Yesterday marked the first day of the Stanford Pre-Law Society’s (SPLS) Law School Shadowing Week — a week-long event that allows undergraduates to attend Law School classes. Delving into issues ranging from capital markets to constitutional law resolution, the program allows undergraduates interested in law to get an insider’s glimpse into the law school experience. As one of SPLS’s most popular events, 63 undergraduates and seven law professors are participating in this year’s program.

Aiming to promote awareness and interest in contemporary legal issues and to provide undergraduates with opportunities to learn more about law school, SPLS has hosted this event at the Law School since the group’s inception.

“Our primary goal is to serve as a resource to undergraduates considering law school,” said SPLS co-President Katie Jones ‘08. “By providing undergrads the opportunity to get a first-hand look at what law school is really like, Shadowing Week can play an important role in a student’s decision to apply to law school or not.”

Law School Prof. Mark Lemley, who teaches “Introduction to Intellectual Property Law,” praised the goals set forth by Shadowing Week.

“I have participated since I arrived here [at Stanford Law School] in 2004,” he said. “I think it’s valuable for undergraduates considering a career in law to get a sense of what law school is really like, and the best way to do that is to see it in action.”

“The decision to go to law school is very difficult and extremely significant,” added Law School Prof. Lawrence Lessig. “I don’t encourage people to come directly to law school from undergraduate work. But if one is considering it, getting a clear sense of what law school is [like] is very important.”

This year showed a marked increase in undergraduate participation. With seven diverse choices of classes to attend, this year’s Shadowing Week has double the participation level of last year. SPLS co-President Katharine Wang ‘08 attributes this year’s success to good advertisement and increased interest in the field of law.

“This year, the turnout has been phenomenal,” she said. “We believe that a mixture of good advertisement by the executive board and an increasing undergraduate interest in pre-law caused such a surge in participation.”

The annual event caters to a wide range of students, including those who have definite plans to attend law school and those who simply want to learn more.

“With so many misconceptions about law school classes floating around, this is a valuable opportunity for students to see the ‘real deal’ before making a final decision about whether to apply or not,” Jones said. “Many participants [said] it was interesting and even exciting to see how law school classes are conducted, whereas others [realized] that law school wasn’t really for them.”

In addition to Shadowing Week, SPLS hosts a diverse program of speaker events, information sessions on law school admissions and lunches with Stanford Law School professors. In addition to programming, the society works with Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR) and other student organizations to build a community for undergraduates interested in law.

Though their programs have been successful, SPLS executives are constantly working to make the events and programs better.

“Eventually, we would like to add another feature where law school mentors will take their undergraduate mentees to courses during Shadowing Week,” Wang said. “This allows for better access and closer interaction with the class. With the help of the SPLS Mentorship Committee, we can make the Shadowing Week even more successful.”

Contact Salone Kapur at svkapur@stanford.edu.