National Jurist - February 2008 - (Page 14) No. 1 for Hispanic students University of New Mexico repeats top ranking or the second year in a row, the University of New Mexico School of Law is No. 1 in a ranking of top law schools for Hispanic students, according to Hispanic Business magazine. Before last year, it hadn’t even been on the list. What has transformed the UNM law school into such a great place for Hispanics? “ We ’r e r e c r u i t i n g By Paul Hughes and retaining a diverse population of students,” says Suellyn Scarnecchia, dean of the law school. “We want the law school population to reflect the diversity of the state.” Preparing attorneys to serve New Mexico is a primary goal — it’s the only law school in the state. Diversity is a priority for the school. For example, 10 percent of the school’s students are Native American, about the same percentage as the state’s general population she said. UNM Law offers a certificate program in Indian Law, to encourage Native American students to attend. New Mexico residency is crucial in admissions and as a minority-majority state — ethnic minorities are most of the population — the dean said UNM Law sees many minority applicants. PHOTO BY NICK LAYMAN Like brother and sister duo Joseph and DeAnza Valencia, Dean Suellyn Scarnecchia said most people come to New Mexico because it’s a beautiful place. in July and now clerks for the chief justice of the state supreme court. She’s New Mexico-born and bred, and liked that the law school was close to home. Small classes and accessible professors — a good working definition of community as it relates to law school — made her choice a good one. “At other schools, it’s probably pretty difficult to just go knock on your professor’s door and talk about what you learned in class that day, or if you have a problem with a case,” she said. Scarnecchia said the school brings in attorneys and judges each week — connecting students to the state and potential future jobs, in addition to the academic benefit. DeAnza Valencia, a 3L, and her brother Joseph, a 2L and a transfer from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, couldn’t stay away from their beloved state and plan to stay after graduation. “We’re training students primarily to practice in New Mexico,” Scarnecchia said. “People from New Mexico love the state — it’s a beautiful place.” Association and a real estate attorney in San Francisco, Calif., and UNM students reflect that commitment. “They send students to conferences and administrators and faculty participate in various groups,” Marquez said. “They’re out in the community, doing the outrea and encouraging stuoutreach dents to participate in law.” Sca Scarnecchia said such efforts 1 University of New Mexico School of Law mean a single student isn’t speak2 University of Miami School of Law ing fo an entire ethnic group. for 3 University of Texas at Austin School of Law That, plus small classes and 4 University of Southern California Gould School of Law 5 American University Washington College of Law mand mandatory clinical experience 6 Florida State University College of Law for all graduates, produces skill7 Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law ful, practiced attorneys — No. p 8 Stanford University, Stanford School of Law 1 or n not. 9 University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law In the last class, she said, 10 Florida International University College of Law LSAT scores ranged from 141 Source: Ranked by Hispanic Business magazine in September 2007 issue. to 174 174. “ W d o n’t a c c e p t s t u We “f h ’ l d h “If they’re going to practice law in an dents who won’t do well in law school,” ethnically diverse community, they should Scarnecchia said. learn law in an ethnically diverse community,” Scarnecchia said. Students of law The school is active in a variety of Those attributes — local, small, diverse, programs, said Victor M. Marquez, intense — brought May 2007 graduate president of the Hispanic National Bar Elaine Lujan to UNM. She passed the bar Best law schools for Hispanics 14 THE NATIONAL JURIST February 2008
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