Virtual panelists describe varied paths into law

Career Readiness Program event allows current students to hear guidance, see importance of community connections

October 22, 2020

law clip artFive alumni with distinct, interesting paths in the field of law came together in a Zoom presentation through the Saint Michael’s College Career Education & Alumni Engagement Center on the evening of Thursday, October 15, offering guidance and encouragement to current students thinking about law careers.

The special panel through the Career Readiness Program – it went live starting at 6 p.m. — stood in place of similar events in past years that have been held live on campus for law and other professional fields. While the logistics were different because of the pandemic this year, the usefulness and enthusiasm of the virtual panel effectively put a spotlight on the vast opportunities that networking presents among students, alumni and faculty mentors at St. Mike’s, said Laura Neville, the Career Center staffer who organized this law panel.

Participating panelists were: Richard “Richie” Bernache ’16, J.D. candidate 2021 at Georgetown University Law Center; Dan Divis ’17, J.D. candidate 2021 at University of New Hampshire School of Law; Piper Harrod ’20, J.D. candidate 2023 at Vermont Law School; Deana DiBenedetto ’20, J.D. candidate 2023 at Albany Law School; and Shane Coughlin ’20, J.D. candidate 2023 at Notre Dame Law School.

“Two of our five alumni panelists we invited for this event are in their last year of law school and have also secured positions already — which was great to know for our students watching who might have been wondering if good jobs are out there still should they try this path too,” Neville said. “The whole point was to invite our graduates back to demonstrate their diverse experiences in law school, diverse reasons for attending, and the diverse experiences that they have had. We wanted to show that law school is really a path that anybody can take.”

For example, Richie Bernache, now at Georgetown, was a theater major at St. Mike’s. “All of these panelists have gone in, and come from, very different directions, showing such a breadth of interests — such as Piper Harrod, who has an environmental focus at Vermont Law School,” Neville said, adding that Saint Michael’s has a special partnership with that law school.

Piper

Piper Harrod ’20, studying environmental law at Vermont Law School, participates in a recent career panel via Zoom.

“For last week’s session I broke it into sections where the panelists took turns sharing – first, each spoke more about earlier experiences: the decision-making, why they wanted to go to law school, the application process and first-year experiences, what’s that like; then for the second round of sharing, I had them all go around and talk about longer-term goals; Richie and Dan were talking about the practical experiences you can have in law school and the different directions you can take with a law degree.”

She felt that for her and other participants, a main takeaway beyond that basic information was the message that “law is really an area that has strong interest here, based on our attendance and the questions asked of panelists.” What this emphasizes, too, she said, is the importance of the St. Mike’s community and the connections that are built among students, faculty, staff and alumni, “because that’s how you create those opportunities — those relationships that are built at St. Mike’s translate into continued/future relationships and opportunities”

“Our alumni are always so willing to come back and support students – it means a tremendous amount for them to also have their mentors hear about their experiences post-graduation,” Neville wrote afterward to several staff and faculty who “attended” the virtual event. ‘“Similarly, the students and young alumni in the audience place additional value on an event when they see faculty and staff present.”

“That’s what the goal of the career education center is — to build that connection that translates into opportunities, and for me, that’s what’s exciting,” said Neville, adding how she particularly enjoyed watching the law-school panelists connect with one another as well, offering mutual support among fellow law students at different stages of their studies. “In this virtual world right now, these environments that draw people together to feel connection are even more important. Everyone seemed to enjoy and get a lot out of it.”

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