Info Session Monday, April 18: The Financial Value of Your Law Degree

By | Posted on

We are fortunate to have Jason DiLorenzo of GLAdvisor return this semester to make another presentation to Berkeley Law students. He made a very well received presentation at the Class of 2011’s “Tax Day” event. This session will be an expansion on that but is not limited to students going into the private sector. The information will be of value to all students. Please plan to take the time to hear him speak.

____________________________________________

The Financial Value of Your Law Degree:

A Presentation on How Recent Legislation Can Improve the Economic Value of Your J.D.

 

Learn what steps you need to take in order to position your debt, tax filing and finances to fully realize the benefits of these pivotal statutory student loan changes.

 

Monday, April 18

140 Boalt Hall

12:45-2:00pm

 

Presented by Jason DiLorenzo

 

• An examination of escalating debt levels’ effect in eroding a Law degree’s financial value and how recent events have reversed this trend markedly.

• The steps you need to take in order to maximize the benefits of these new programs and to mitigate the costs of your debt.

• Inherent conflicts of interest and common mistakes people make while navigating these programs and other financial matters.

• Q & A to follow

Understanding the EFC in MyFinAid

By | Posted on

We’ve received multiple questions over the last few days regarding the information displayed on MyFinAid, such as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Student Contribution (SC) amounts. To clarify, the EFC and SC amounts displayed on MyFinAid are those calculated by the main campus in order to determine your eligibility for loans. The law school’s financial aid office uses an alternate calculation, as described on our Grants page, to determine your eligibility for grants.

Justice Pauline Davis Hanson Scholarship

By | Posted on

The Justice Pauline Davis Hanson Scholarship is an annual award to be presented to a current female law student for the following academic year in the amount of $2,000. Each candidate must be a female law student who has successfully completed at least one year of law school and has not graduated. Preference will be given to current or former residents of Fresno, Kings, Madera or Tulare Counties, especially if they intend to practice law in these counties.Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 30, 2011. Applications may be sent via email to nstegall@cv-familylaw.com , via fax to (559) 237-6807, or by mail.

Visit our scholarships page for more information and the application.

Robert Masur Fellowship for Civil Liberties – April 15 Deadline

By | Posted on

The Robert Masur Fellowship for Civil Liberties is a $1,000 honorarium open to first-year law students who intend to carry out significant activities during the summer (in between their first and second year) in the areas of civil rights and/or civil liberties. Proposed activities may include a writing or research project, work with a public interest organization in the areas of civil rights or civil liberties, work on a civil rights or civil liberties law case under the supervision of a faculty member or lawyer, or any other work in the areas of civil rights or civil liberties.Applicants should send a proposal, no more than two pages, describing his or her intended summer project, along with a resume, a brief letter of recommendation, and the name of their faculty or organizational sponsor to:

Robert Masur Fellowship
The Nation Institute
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003

All applications must be postmarked by April 15, 2011.

For specific inquiries, contact Jayati Vora at jayati@nationinstitute.org or call 212-822-0269.

George Hopper Memorial Scholarship

By | Posted on

The George Hopper Memorial Scholarship is administered by the Fresno County Young Lawyers Association (“FCYLA”) in honor of Justice George Hopper. The purpose of the scholarship is for a 2nd or 3rd year law student to use the funds for educational purposes, to offset the costs of studying for and taking the Bar Examination, or in another manner appropriately related to the recipient’s preparation to being the practice of law. One student will be chosen to receive an award of $500.Applicants must be currently enrolled in law school and demonstrate overall excellence and accomplishment in pursuit of his or her Juris Doctorate. In addition, applicants must demonstrate a connection to the San Joaquin Valley as well as a desire to enter the practice of law in Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings or Tulare County.

To apply, complete an application and send it, along with a personal statement, transcripts, and resume, to Mia Giacomazzi at MGiacomazzi@caed.uscourts.gov. Applications are due by June 15, 2011.

Estimated Graduation Dates for Entering Students

By | Posted on

Many entering students are finding that their Estimated Graduation date on MyFinAid shows 2012 instead of 2014. We believe this is due to a technical issue with the MyFinAid/BearFacts web system. Students who accept our offer of admission will have the opportunity to change this date through MyFinAid this summer.

Filipino Bar Association of Northern CA Scholarships

By | Posted on

The Filipino Bar Association of Northern California is offering scholarships to current law students in good standing for the 2011-12 academic year. FBANC historically has granted two scholarships, the FBANC Scholarship and the Raymond L. Ocampo, Jr. Scholarship. Last year, each scholarship was awarded in the amount of $2,500.Candidates will be judged on their application, their demonstrated interest in serving the Filipino-American Community, their persuasiveness, and their desire to serve the Filipino-American Community as an FBANC attorney.

Application materials are available here. Applications must be received by April 9, 2011.

Direct questions to Robert Uy at uyrobert@gmail.com.

Financial Aid Offers Now Available for Entering Students

By | Posted on

This message was sent to entering first year JD students from whom we have received a FAFSA:

We anticipated the campus Financial Aid Office would be sending you an email telling you your financial aid package for 2011-2012 is now available. That message will not be sent until later this month. However, your financial aid package is located at MyFinAid. If you applied for a Boalt Hall Grant, we will send you an email message in the next day or so letting you know about your eligibility.

CA Residency Workshop – Date Changed to April 19

By | Posted on

The date of the California Residency Workshop has changed from March 31 to April 19.

Updated information:

On Tuesday, April 19 there will be a workshop presented by UC Berkeley’s Residence Affairs Unit regarding establishing California Residency for tuition purposes. Students currently billed as non-residents but planning to appeal their residency status for 2011-2012 should attend this informal lunch period gathering from 12:45 -1:45 in Room 105 Boalt. The impact of working out of California this summer and tips for completing the appeal will be discussed by the presenter. The online Residency Petitions should be available on bearfacts in early May.

When should I expect my financial aid offer?

By | Posted on

Entering first year students should be able to see their initial financial aid offer for the 2011-12 academic year in early April. All initial offers will contain eligibility for federal student loans. Students who have completed all requirements for Berkeley Law’s need-based grant will also see any grant eligibility. Please note: Scholarship information will, for the most part, not be available at the time of initial offers. If you are offered a scholarship, you will be notified by e-mail and your financial aid offer will subsequently be modified to reflect the new award.
Continuing students will have initial financial aid offers for 2011-12 available to them at the beginning of May. As with entering students, initial offers will contain loan eligibility and any need-based grant eligibility. Please note: If you haven’t already completed the Supplemental Application which includes your expected summer earnings, you must do so by April 15 to be considered for the need-based grant.

Students in either group who are unsure of whether they have met the requirements should:
a) check their FAFSA Student Aid Report to ensure that the FAFSA information has been sent to Berkeley and that the information was accurate and complete;
b) correct and resubmit the FAFSA info if any financial information has changed or more accurate information is now available; and
c) e-mail us to correct the information submitted on the Supplemental Application if necessary.