We are here to support you! At the Center for Pre-Law Advising (CPLA) we provide advising and other resources to UW-Madison students and alumni at all stages in the process of considering, preparing for, and applying to law school.
CPLA offers a mix of in-person (1305 Linden Drive, Suite 205) or remote (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc) appointments.
Current students, please schedule via Starfish. Alumni, please email us at information@prelaw.wisc.edu.
Please note: Application documents (resumes, personal statements, etc) generally require an appointment to be reviewed. Please be aware that there can often be a 2 week wait for appointments. And, due to heavy traffic and time-sensitive advising in the fall, November appointments are for active applicants only. Thank you for your understanding as we do our best to serve and support all those exploring and applying to law school. We look forward to working with you!
Drop In Advising: During the fall during peak application season we do offer drop in advising remotely for students and alumni. Drop ins have concluded for this year and will resume in fall 2023. If you’d like to connect with an advisor, please schedule an appointment with us via Starfish for current students or by email at information@prelaw.wisc.edu for alumni.
Questions? Please email us at information@prelaw.wisc.edu.
COVID, Public Health, & Pre-Professional Advising
Guidelines and campus policies are shifting as the pandemic evolves. Make sure to stay updated on UW policies here.
As always, if you’re not feeling well (or just prefer virtual), we are happy to meet remotely! Just email your advisor or information@prelaw.wisc.edu. We’ll change the modality no questions asked!
We understand that our advisees and campus partners may have a range of perspectives, questions, or concerns given policy shifts (we do, too!). Here’s what we know:
- Masks are always welcome in Pre-Professional Advising.
- If your advisor is not wearing a mask and you prefer that they do so, please do not hesitate to ask. We’ll likely already be wearing one.
- Your advisor may ask you to wear a mask as well (on Starfish, via email, or at the time of your appointment). If possible, please respect their request.
- We will have masks available at the front desk if needed.
Advisors will continue to offer virtual and in-person appointments. You’re welcome to choose the option that works best for you!
Pre-Law Advisor | Janet Mitchell, J.D.
Janet earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her Bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, where she majored in Theatre Arts and Education. Janet has over a decade of experience as an educator in the test prep industry, teaching students how to succeed on exams like the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE, facilitating workshops on admissions processes, and supporting applicants in crafting personal statements. In addition to her role as a Pre-Law Advisor, Janet teaches the CPLA LSAT Workshop Series, a multi-session self-study primer offered multiple times throughout the year.
Pre-Law Advisor | Carley Gomez, PhD, MFA
Carley Gomez serves as a Pre-Law Advisor and CPLA’s Lead for Professional Development. She has a PhD in English from the University of Missouri and an MFA in Writing from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. For the past five years, she’s taught undergraduate English courses at the University of Missouri, often at the intersection of rhetoric and social justice issues. The connection between writing, literature, and law is ever-present, and she is passionate about teaching rhetorical skills and helping people find their voices as they pursue their goals and write their personal statements.
Pre-Law Graduate Advisor and UW Law Student (2L) | Ambar Cornelio
Ambar earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in Art History and Spanish. Ambar is currently in her second (2L) year at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Ambar is a member of multiple law student organizations including the Wisconsin Law Review, Public Interest Law Foundation, Women’s Law Student Association and Labor & Employment Student Association. Ambar is excited to help future law students meet their goals at each step of the application process.
As a Pre-Law Graduate Advisor, Ambar is available to meet with any undergraduate student or alumnus of UW-Madison.
Director of Pre-Professional Advising | Molly Reinhard
Molly serves as Director of Pre-Professional Advising, which includes the Centers for Pre-Law and Pre-Health Advising. During the summer months, she also advises CCAS SOAR students through her broader role in the Office of Undergraduate Advising. Beyond CCAS SOAR, her primary focus areas for 1:1 advising include supporting students who are *early in the process* of Pre-Health or Pre-Law preparation/exploration, as well as direct referrals from campus partners such as DDEEA.
ADVISING & CONFIDENTIALITY:
We are here to support you in reaching your goals, including navigating academic or personal challenges as they relate to pursuing professional programs after graduation. While our advisors are able to keep most conversations private in accordance with FERPA, sometimes information disclosed during advising or in personal statements requires us to communicate with other support offices on campus (such as the Dean of Students or the Title IX Coordinator).
Why are we required to discuss certain situations with other offices? Due to various federal, state, and UW policies, we are not Confidential Campus Resources when it comes to incidents such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, or sexual discrimination. Two examples of Confidential Campus Resources are University Health Services and the McBurney Disability Resource Center.
To learn more about efforts related to campus safety and expectations of faculty and staff, please speak with your advisors or visit the Title IX information page and Clery Act information page.
The goal of communication is to ensure a safe and healthy campus community, and to ensure that students receive the information they personally need to be safe and healthy. However, we understand that you may have questions or concerns about these policies. Please do not hesitate to bring these up with your advisor.