The New Beginnings for Trinity’s Pre-Law Society Under Leadership of Senior Erin DeMarco and her E-Board

Annika Dyczkowski ’25

Features Editor

Trinity’s annual Student Involvement Fair for clubs, activities, and student involvement was last Thursday, and the Pre-Law Society has visions for a bright future. The Tripod had the opportunity to speak with Erin DeMarco ‘23, the president of the Pre-Law Society (PLS), to discuss the club’s intentions and role on campus.

DeMarco has been a member of the PLS since her freshman year, but her aspirations for law originated in her first-year seminar. She says that her professor was in the department, introduced her to the subject, and after that she “started taking classes immediately.” When asked why she immediately felt so passionate, she said that she appreciates modern-day concepts in juxtaposition to the history of law itself; DeMarco is now a public policy and law major and is pursuing a career in law. Her disposition towards the subject sparked an inclination for leadership, and eventually she acquired the position of President of the Pre-Law Society.

DeMarco took over as President of the PLS in April last spring, and she knew her primary goal was to bring back in-person meetings. She finds that COVID dismantled the club’s presence on campus, and students in the PLS had difficulty networking or reaching out to each other because of this issue. “I wanted to help cultivate a more unified Pre-Law Society on campus.” DeMarco is very eager about her new leadership position, and face-to-face connection within the club is of utmost importance to her and the rest of the PLS board members.

In addition to rebuilding after COVID, the PLS has redefined their membership. “In the past it’s been an email chain, but now attendance is strongly encouraged.” The club’s board has designed its membership to consist of ‘active’ and ‘non-active’ members, where both are PLS constituents but active members must attend two events per month. Active members, however, receive more perks, such as access to the club’s Policorner and GroupMe. Members can always transition from non-active members to active members. DeMarco says that even students unsure about pursuing a career in law are welcome, “[we] want to be welcoming to students who are still unsure.”

Currently DeMarco and the rest of the PLS board are also implementing alumni workshops. The club is bringing back their “Lunch with Lawyers” series where attorneys, mostly Trinity alumni, come to campus and speak on their experiences in the law field. The club is also hosting panels this fall about alumni experience with paralegal work and law school. They are curating other workshops in partnership with the Career and Life Design Center concerning networking, LinkedIn, cover letters, and personal statements for law school applications. “I figured why not work together to navigate this unknown world, to an extent, because the law school application process can be confusing.” When DeMarco was organizing these events with the board, they strived for the PLS to be a foundation for member success. “I asked myself, what would be best and most helpful for interested law students?”

DeMarco shares that the Pre-Law Society can effectively prepare students for a life beyond undergraduate and law school through their workshops and outreach to alumni. “Teaching the importance of connecting with alums and attorneys, we hope to encourage our members to not be afraid to ask questions and follow up with them.” She also emphasizes that the PLS provides the fundamentals for such networking. “We hope we inspire students to take it upon themselves to talk to as many people as [they] can.”

DeMarco also underscores the importance of members finding their passion with other members, “I want to emphasize that this is not going to be a competitive environment whatsoever, I want to establish a community.” DeMarco is excited for the future of the PLS, and she is thrilled to help it grow as an organization after the pandemic. She shares that if anyone has any suggestions for events or workshops, the PLS is open to hearing them and implementing them. “We want this to be beneficial to our members, and we want to hear their voices.” DeMarco would also like to recognize the rest of the Executive Board for all of their thoughtfulness and hard work: Bradley Abel ’24 (Vice President), Jake Armentrout ’23 (Secretary), Natalie Caffrey ’23 (Event Chairperson), Emily Grady ’24 (Marketing Director), and Ava Caudle ’25 (Treasurer). You can reach the Pre-Law Society executive board directly at prelaw-society@trincoll.edu.