The Law Fair takes place on Friday, November 17th, 2023 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST. at Harvard University Graduate School of Education in the Gutman Conference Center.

No. This event is for anyone interested in pursuing law school. Ideally, it would be most helpful to students who are in college as well as college graduates. It would also be helpful to working professionals and those who are looking to change careers or revisit the path to a legal education when life has taken them in a different direction. There is something that can be gained from anyone in these groups. Everyone is welcome. Note that this year, we will be hosting a sister event – Future Legal Eagles Flight School intended for Black parents and youth from elementary school to middle school to high school on Saturday, November 18th, 2023 (and possibly some additional programming on the day after the National Black Pre-Law Conference on Sunday, November 19th, 2023). These sessions would be best for school-aged students to attend (4th grade to 12th grade).

This year’s event is fully live and in-person. If you would like to view recordings and extra content for a limited time, you may purchase the “replay” for a cost. However, the live event is completely free of charge and we encourage you to take advantage of the special opportunities that attending in person offers.

No.

The conference will not be livestreamed.

You can register online right now. FREE REGISTRATION is now open via the website at www.blackprelawconference.org and via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-19th-annual-national-black-pre-law-conference-and-law-fair-2023-tickets-608994227127

The Law Fair is open to law schools, law-related non-profit organizations, and legal employers. Any for-profit organizations hoping to reach our audience is encouraged to consider sponsoring the event.

We encourage all attendees to be fully vaccinated and to wear a mask. However, this is optional. No one is required to show proof of vaccination or to wear a mask.

We do our part to make the event accessible by making it completely free of charge. However, we are simply unable to help attendees to cover the cost of accommodations and travel to get to where the event is hosted. In an effort to assist, we do provide registrants with an attendee sponsorship booklet which provides suggestions on ways to raise money and get others to help sponsor your trip.

Click here to download sponsorship guidance booklet

We could easily charge hundreds of dollars for what we provide – at least $250 per ticket. We are fully aware that other events that offer the type of programming we do charge attendees high fees to attend. However, we intentionally choose to not charge a registration fee because we want to make this event accessible and widely reach our target audience of Black people who aspire to become lawyers from across the country. We know and understand that many of the people we want to reach may not be able to afford traditional conference fees and by not charging fees hope to eliminate that barrier.

Please do not mistake our choice to make the event free for it being something of lesser value. Our goal is for all participants to take away priceless information, resources and connections that can shift their thinking and change their lives if acted upon. Knowledge is powerful with action. Please understand that although it costs participants nothing, it costs us. Consider that the planning and execution of this event takes hundreds of hours of time over the course of several months by a team of people and tens of thousands of dollars to pay for numerous expenses. We help cover our costs through sponsors that help us so that we will not have to charge our registrants to participate.

We see this event as a WORTHY INVESTMENT in our community and our future, and want to sow into the lives of aspiring Black lawyers. We do this work as a service to those we reach out to, to the legal community, and to our society which needs greater representation of Black lawyers serving in various leadership roles.

Food will not be provided at this year’s conference. However, there are several food establishments and places to grab quick snacks in close walking distance to the conference venue.

Yes, we have a list of recommended hotels in Cambridge and Boston. We have made agreements with some of the hotels to provide discounted rates to our conference attendees. We also have provided information on an affordable hostel as an option if the cost of a hotel stay is out of reach.

Bring pens, paper to take notes (or your laptop and phone), and business cards (paper or electronic) – or you can use your LinkedIn QR code. Also, be sure to not forget your positive mindset, willingness to learn, and openness to meeting new people.

Due to limited seating, we request that you pre-register for the event. However, our goal is to not turn anyone away so if there is additional space, we will absolutely do our best to make room for and accommodate same-day and walk-in registrants.

We will provide a recording created by the conference founder on how to maximize your conference experience. We will also provide a conference strategy booklet which provides tips on things you should do to prepare for the conference experience so you can go in with a plan on how to get the most out of the opportunities that the conference provides.

Yes, IF you upgrade your registration to VIP status.

Sign up by filling out this form. Make sure that you plan to wear comfortable walking shoes and that you have funds for public transportation. You can also choose to take an Uber/Lyft and meet the group at the meeting points at the designated times. Make sure to complete the form so that we are able to give the law schools a headcount so they know how many prospective law students to expect.

Sign up by filling out this form. We need for you to complete the form so that we can add your name to the list. There is a $20 fee for this particular tour payable to the museum.

Sign up by filling out this form. We need for you to complete the form so that we can add your name to the list and we can look for you on the day of the tour. We also need to know how many people will be joining us just in case we need to split up the groups.

There is no cost for the Boston Law School Tours and the Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery Walking Tour. However, you will be responsible for the cost of your own transportation to get there and must meet the group at the designated meeting point. Note that these are walking tours and not bus tours. You must bring your walking shoes, a bottle of water and a snack to keep you going. For the Royall House and Slave Quarters Tour, there is a $20 per person fee payable to the museum.

Sign up by filling out this form.

At this time, we are unable to guarantee the ability to provide this service. We do not yet know if we will have the volunteers or capacity for this for all who may need it but are unable to attend. However, we will make an effort to make small group advisement opportunities available via Zoom who those who really need to connect with someone around their decision to apply and application materials. Do that that we will give priority to those who purchase the replay package or upgrade to VIP status, but our goal is to not leave anyone behind. Each of you is important to us.

It depends. Those who upgrade to VIP status will be given a printed and downloadable copy of their Certificate of Participation via email.

Sign up by filling out this form.

No. You must attend in person and recite the Aspiring Lawyers Success Pledge and be pinned by a current lawyer. We are unable to mail out pins. However, we can send you a copy of the pledge to download and read.

It will likely be cold during the month of November. The temperature generally ranges from a low of 38 to a high of 52. Please plan to dress in layers and bring a sweater and coat.

Yes, you must sign the terms and conditions prior to entering the event.

Please complete the form for either a customized marketing sponsorship, or a traditional tiered marketing sponsorship, and we will get back to you with a sponsorship package. Thank you for your interest in supporting our work!

Please contact us no later than two weeks before the conference and let us know about any disabilities you might have. We will try our very best to work out a plan to accommodate you at the venues where the event will be hosted on the days you will be in attendance. Send an email to info@blackprelawconference.org with “Accommodations for Disabilities” in the subject line.

Yes. We welcome family members, mentors, and friends to attend to support someone in their life serious about exploring whether law school is for them.