Alumni
Welcome to Miami's Sue J. Henry Center for Pre-Law Education website. This Center is dedicated to helping students decide whether law is a good career fit, and assist them in the law school admission process.
What Does This Program Involve?
This is a comprehensive Center designed to supplement pre-law students' learning and practical experience, regardless of their major. Some of the services provided by the program include:
- Counseling and programming on the different aspects of legal practice
- Advice on navigating the law school admissions process
- Career counseling to determine whether law is the best career choice
- Creation and exploration of leadership programs, legal internship opportunities, and mentorship opportunities
- A dedicated and comprehensive web portal to keep students, faculty, and alumni apprised of deadlines, programs, and opportunities
We Need Your Help!
We are hoping to gather as much information from our alumni as possible. Our students can benefit from your experiences. If you are interested in helping us, please visit our Support the Henry Pre-Law Center page or contact Maria P. Vitullo, Esq. (vitullmp@MiamiOH.edu).
I work for a law firm, Ballard Spahr, which I joined in 2005. We're based in Philadelphia and have 16 offices around the country. I'm the practice leader of the white-collar and government investigations group. Before that I was a federal prosecutor.
Henry Hockeimer '85
I had always wanted to go to law school, and although there was no Pre-Law program at Miami at the time, I was lucky enough to get to know Maria Vitullo, now the director of the Sue J. Henry Center for Pre-Law Education, and we're very close. Maria helped guide my path to law school, so after graduating from Miami I went directly to Ohio State and focused on election law.
Amanda Grandjean '13
For those students with any interest in the law, sign up for Miami's pre-law program — director Maria Vitullo and advisor Elizabeth Zimmerman run a phenomenal program, and they will definitely help connecting you to prominent attorneys and preparing your for law school!
Katie Liss '02
I really believe in a commitment to service. Even if your job is not a public interest position you still should do some pro bono or other charitable work … To be happy in law, you have to … strike a balance among your family life, your firm life, and your personal development.
Susan Duncan '87
My favorite [movie about the legal profession] of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird. I don't think you can get a better story about what it would be like to be a great lawyer than both the skill that Atticus Finch had and the ethos—you know, his passion to be loyal to his client's cause even in the face of unpopularity. I think it's very inspirational for lawyers.
R. Todd Johnson '82
Patent Attorney — A Nice Niche
Jim Heinen (Miami, 2003) majored in Chemistry. He is now an Associate, Intellectual Property Group, Armstrong Teasdale LLP. Mr. Heinen explained how his major led to a career as a patent attorney. [November 2012]
Patent Attorney - A Nice Niche Video Transcript
Analyze an Issue from All Sides
Mark Thompson (Miami, 2011) majored in Political Science and minored in Ethics. He is currently a student at the University of Chicago Law School. Mark described how he decided to become a lawyer and how Miami prepared him for law school. [October 2012]
Analyze an Issue from All Sides Video Transcript
The World Isn't All Contracts and Torts
Beth McNellie (Miami, 1986) majored in Interdisciplinary Studies; she earned her JD in 1989 from Columbia University School of Law. She is a Partner at Baker & Hostetler, LLP (Columbus office). She is a former chair of the Pre-Law Alumni Advisory Board and a member of the College of Arts and Science Alumni Advisory Board. She talked about how Miami prepared her for the Columbia School of Law. [September 2011]
