Spring 2007

Pre-law Center Connects Vision, Reality

Sue Henry '73 enjoys being a lawyer.

"It's stimulating," she said. "You get to work in a fast-paced setting with very smart people."

But she knows that the appeal of practicing law, which she has done in Chicago and in Indiana , has some possible drawbacks. "Students need to have a realistic view of what a legal career is all about," Henry said. "I have run into a lot of former law students who no longer practice law because they had no clear view of what it would be like."

Intrigued by an existing program at Miami , which exposes healthcare career-bound students to current issues in the medical profession and the reality of medical practice, Henry made a gift for a proposed pre-law center.

Henry, whose husband and daughter are also attorneys, said that being a pre-law student can be a catch-all major for students who communicate well and like an intellectual challenge. But practicing law is more than that.

"We want to help students prepare for getting into law school and then, once they are there, to be able to do well," Henry said. "It takes a good work ethic as well as being up to the intellectual challenge."

Henry said that Miami , with its well-recognized academic program, is good preparation for law school. But she said the center could help students gain a realistic perspective on their futures.

"Years ago, of course, we clearly had nothing like that," Henry said. "I think it will make a difference for students now."