MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: SISTER HOLT MARK JOHNSON RESEARCH PROPOSAL: PREPARING FOR CORPORATE LAW

JANUARY 29, 2014

Purpose: I have a goal of becoming a corporate lawyer, this is not an easy task nor is it becoming easier. Competition defines the process of acceptance to law schools. Many law schools only take the best and not all graduates gain work as corporate lawyers in the end. Therefore I want to discover: What undergraduate studies can prepare one for the LSAT and law school? What skills are needed to become a corporate lawyer? When selecting which schools to apply for, are there any schools that better prepare someone for work as a corporate lawyer? Is there is a benefit to attending an Ivy League school compared to a lower ranked school when it comes to finding work? During undergraduate years are the certain internships that could be helpful in preparing one for corporate law? Background: A year ago while talking with my father about a friend of his we stumbled onto the topic of what his friend does for a living. My fathers friend is a corporate lawyer, I knew he worked as a lawyer but I never bothered to find out what that meant. I always thought of lawyers as people who defend whoever pays enough money to avoid trouble and sues the other side for their misconduct . However, as my father described this friends work to me it sounded noble. The idea of helping a company stay safe and protected sounded fun and exciting. I wanted to know more and soon became captivated by the idea myself having a similar career. Significance:

The research I will conduct will be useful to me as well as any student like me who has aspirations to going into law, specifically corporate law. The research will help undergraduate students know how to best prepare for the entrance exam called the LSAT, and how best to prepare for law school. My paper will help in locating prime choices of law schools students like me should apply to in hopes of beginning their law career. Many students have the potential to be benefited through this information. Methodology: I will conduct my research by means of both primary and secondary research. I want to find out from currently employed corporate lawyers what is needed to prepare for this occupation. I will interview corporate lawyers, as well as a pre-law advisor and a recent law school graduate to gain more information about law schools and the application process. I will keep most of the questions asked in the interviews the same to help solidify answers and results. I will also consult articles, through Google Scholar, ProQuest, and JSTOR. These secondary sources can help add information about how to prepare for a career in corporate law as well as how to prepare for law school. Outline: My working thesis is: corporate law can best be prepared for by gaining a college education that helps develop writing and thinking skills, and then continuing to a law school where there are high possibilities to gain relationships with people in the companies one would desire to work with.

Find Schools that have Relations with Companies One Desires to Work With. Continue Education Bachelors degree Focus on writing and philosopy Further Education Law School Master's degree

Problems: One large problem with hoping to gain much of my research through the primary method of interviewing others is the possibility of not being able to reach some of the interviewees. If the lawyers and pre-law advisor I hope to interview are unavailable I will

rely more on secondary sources found. Also my desired topic is specific; I will broaden my topic to include some other similar branches of law if needed. Annotated Bibliography: Armour, John, Henry Hansmann, and Reinier Kraakman. The Essential Elements of Corporate Law: What is Corporate Law? Harvard. 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. Describes many of the problems and issues facing corporate form, which are what corporate lawyers deal with daily. Garner, Susan. Personal interview. Rexburg, ID. 29 Jan. 2014. Described what a student can do to find out information about law schools, and acceptance rates. She told of preparation tools for the LSAT and for application processes. Hensley, Jeff. Personal interview. 5 Feb. 2014. Jeff is a recently graduated law student new to practice who offered to answer questions about law school, the experience, application process, and work load. Layton, Kevin. Personal interview. 31 Jan. 2014. Kevin is a practicing corporate lawyer, promised to share what corporate law is about and what he wishes he would have known before starting his career. MacCrate, Robert. "Preparing Lawyers to Participate Effectively in the Legal Profession." Journal of Legal Education. 44.1 (1994): 89. ProQuest. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. This article depicts the purposes behind law school and the need for law professionals. McNeil, Mont. Personal interview. 4 Feb. 2014. Mont is a practicing corporate lawyer, promised to share what corporate law is about and what he wishes he would have known before starting his career. Pratt, Paul. Personal interview. 3 Feb. 2014. Paul is a practicing corporate lawyer, promised to share what corporate law is about and what he wishes he would have known before starting his career. van Alstyne, Scott. Ranking the Law Schools: The Reality of Illusion? American Bar Foundation Research Journal. 7.3 (1982): 649-684. JSTOR. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. Describes the differences in law schools which shows that rating these schools impractical. The article will help answer the question about whether there are benefits for certain law school options over others. Vyas, Maulik. "Law Graduates Favour Litigation Practices Over High-Paying Corporate Jobs." The Economic Times (Online) Jun 06 2012. ProQuest. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.

Schedule: 1. Thursday Jan. 30 2. Friday Jan. 31 3. Saturday Feb. 1 4. Monday Feb. 3 5. Tuesday Feb. 4 6. Wednesday Feb. 5 7. Friday Feb. 7 8. Saturday Feb. 8 9. Monday Feb. 10 10. Wednesday Feb. 12 11. Friday Feb. 14 12. Wednesday Feb. 19 Request for Approval: My hopes for this research will help making the career desires I have become a reality. I will find information that will help students with desires similar to my own know how to better prepare themselves for the future. I request your approval Sister Holt to conduct this research to come to understand more about corporate law and how to best prepare for a career in that field. Revise Research Proposal Research Proposal due on I-learn, Interview with Kevin Read through sources and find more potential sources Interview with Paul. Finish reading through sources, potential interview Begin drafting title page and intro Write body paragraphs for first section Write body paragraphs for second section Revise research paper Revise research paper Electronic copy of research paper due Research paper due