Photo courtesy of Derek Muller
Hillsdale grad law students (L to R) Keith Miller ‘03, JS ‘01, Paul Watkins ‘03, Michael Francisco ‘04 and
District of Columbia Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown at the annual Federalist Society barbeque in Washington D.C.
Editor's Note: Portions of this online article have been edited. As a result, the web version differs from the original published condition.
A new resource is available for Hillsdale College students and alumni interested in the legal profession. Hillsdalelaw.com—a network for alumni who have attended law school and for current students exploring the possibility of law school—is now online.
Hillsdalelaw.com was created this year by Hillsdale graduates Robert Driscoll, ’03, Michael Francisco, ’04, and Derek Muller, ’04. The three alumni, who all currently attend law school, saw a need for a database encouraging communication among Hillsdale alumni and students, all in the context of the legal profession.
“One of the things we found out from Career Services was that there wasn’t really a good database of alumni,” said Muller, who now attends Notre Dame Law School. “So we decided to try a little grassroots campaign. We thought if we just started with a handful of people it would spread from there.”
Hillsdalelaw.com has three primary purposes, according to a press release from the group.
First, the Web site provides a private directory of Hillsdale alumni in the legal profession, enabling them to easily contact one another.
It also allows current law students to seek the advice of law school graduates pursuing careers or clerkships.
Finally, the site hosts a public bulletin board encouraging discussion about law school and the legal profession among Hillsdale students and alumni.
Muller said the group is pleased with the success of the Web site and estimates they have a database of 40-50 alumni members. According to the press release, access to the member directory is limited to Hillsdale alumni currently pursuing legal education or careers, whose privacy is strictly maintained.
Muller encouraged current Hillsdale students to take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the alumni.
“I know when I was looking at law schools I didn’t really know anyone,” Muller said. “I knew a kind of hodge-podge smattering of people, but hopefully this will provide an opportunity to get access to people from the last several years at law schools around the country.”
As a whole, the group believes Hillsdalelaw.com will prove a useful resource for both alumni and students as they make the transition from Hillsdale’s campus to legal careers.
“We are excited to provide this valuable resource for everyone associated with Hillsdale College who is involved in the legal world,” said Francisco, a student at Cornell Law School. “Hillsdale College is a special place where like-minded alumni can benefit from being connected together in today’s legal landscape.”