Why Participate?

Joseph DiPasquale '12

Joe said that the [Nancy Rogers'] luncheon "was an extremely valuable experience because it showed that a leader need not, and often should not, take a hard-line approach to decision making."

- read more about Joseph

The Program on Law and Leadership at the OSU Moritz College of Law invites students to engage themselves - in the classroom, in a workshop, at a luncheon with a distinguished guest speaker. Throughout your three years of legal educational experiences, the PLL draws you into leadership practice immersed in real-world challenges. The leadership community of students and faculty is here to support your journey of self-assessment that prepares you for leadership in whatever career path you choose.

To engage with the PLL is to participate outside the typical legal curriculum, to reach beyond where you thought you were extending to whom you want to be. Leadership is an aspect of every interaction, and the time to begin your leadership practice is now. Students who participate in every PLL initiative available to them are rewarded with a portfolio of skills, language, and experiences that enriches their leadership knowledge. In every class, event, and activity, you are asked not only to study leadership, but to demonstrate it.

This is how participation in the PLL makes a difference:

• Variety of initiatives

  From workshops facilitated by leadership experts to invitations from partners across campus to hear from nationally-renowned leaders, the PLL is your passport to outstanding leadership education. Our staff works to plan activities, events, and guest speakers which represent leadership from a myriad of viewpoints. We ask our students about their career goals and interests, and we keep up-to-date on the latest trends in leadership theory and practice.

• Strength of guest speakers

  Guest speakers who participate in Program on Law and Leadership activities represent a plethora of leadership positions. Whether it's serving as the CEO of a gourmet ice cream business or working up the ladder at a private firm, our guests exhibit leadership in their careers. We invite local and national lawyer leaders to present to our PLL students throughout the year, at sit-down lunches with Dean Alan Michaels or our co-directors, and a small group of students. These opportunities allow PLL participants to engage in quiet conversations and question/answer sessions unlike any other opportunity at Moritz. Additionally, our speaker series hosts nationally known speakers to present their leadership experiences and research, and our students are the first to know about it.

• Self-exploration to discover leadership style

  Students who participate in the PLL have the opportunity to work with career and personnel counselors using self-assessment tools to better identify areas of personal strength and those in need of development. The assessments aid students as they develop a career planning strategy. Students have the opportunity to conduct a StrengthsFinder assessment and/or the Emotional Intelligence assessment (EQ). These leadership assessment tools are a boon to our PLL students, as they can take the results as recognition of where they need to focus their leadership training while at Moritz.

• Partnerships and collaborations

  The PLL experience is inherently collaborative. The Program has been strengthened by building relationships with entities both in- and outside of Moritz. Early on, the staff reached out to Fisher College of Business and the Glenn School of Public Affairs, to ensure that the PLL students would benefit from the rich resources available here at OSU. In the years since, Glenn school students have been invited to participate in our PLL workshops, leading to a deeper engagement for all participants. PLL students have been invited to hear from leading public policy experts, such as Senator Tom Daschle speaking about health care. PLL participants receive information about leadership courses happening across campus, and are encouraged to utilize their elective credits to pursue these highlighted classes. Every occasion to reach outside the walls of Drinko Hall is seen as an opportunity to learn from leaders in other fields, enriching our PLL student's experience.

To register, please visit the registration page.