Texas Bar Journal • April 2025

From Law School to Practice

The Texas Young Lawyers Association Launches Its Texas Law Student Hub.

Written by Eric Quitugua

The Texas Young Lawyers Association’s Texas Law Student Hub (TLSH), lawstudenthub.tyla.org, launched in late March. The project is a Choose Your Own Adventure style website that offers resources, video testimonials, and advice for law students and prospective law students alike on a career in the law, according to TYLA President Hisham Masri. Backed by sponsorship and funding from the Texas Bar Foundation, TLSH brings Texas law school deans and faculty, the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP), and others together to give guidance to students who otherwise have no resources or mentors in their circles, whether they are planning on attending law school or are about to enter law practice, Masri said.

“Many do not understand why they want to be lawyers, how to get into law school, how to choose a law school, what they can do with a legal education, how they will pay for the education, and what is the path to admission to the bar and a successful career,” he said.

Masri drew on his own experiences to inform the focus of his signature project. As a father of two, he imagined the challenges his daughter or son might face if they were to seek a legal education. What sorts of questions would they ask? The genesis for TLSH began at a pre-law program at the University of Dallas, where he taught as part of his involvement with the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL). It was there he began to understand how little prospective law students knew about the LSAT, admissions, financial aid, law school classes, and the professions enabled through a legal education.

Through the TLSH, Masri said, he wanted to distill the resources from the program into a website available for everyone. The goal: to help improve the state’s pipeline of people seeking a legal education and help future lawyers.

Prospective Students
The website’s “adventure” begins with two general paths. The first is for prospective students and focuses on a range of topics from financial aid and writing successful admissions letters to testing guides and what life in law class is like.

Among TLSH’s resources for prospective law students is a how-to guide for getting into law school. The self-assessment portion advises future students to list why they want to pursue a law career, to research career paths within the legal world that match their interests, and to find mentors in lawyers or law students who can get into the realities of working in the profession.

In another section, TLSH advises to create a Law School Admission Council (LSAC) account at lsac.org. This website is an additional hub with resources for registering for the LSAT, taking practice tests, and finding law degree and certificate programs.

Expanding on the testing section of the website, TLSH provides information on the LSAC for LSAT registration, and additionally, GRE registration through the Educational Testing Service for schools that accept the test for admission. Other tasks TLSH puts forth are studying with preparation courses, practice tests, and study guides. An additional tip the TLSH provides is to consider testing at least one year before planning to enroll in a law school to allow time for retakes if needed.

The TLSH’s segment on getting into law school focuses on the elements of a successful application. Here the website tasks students with forming a personal statement. This is done via a compelling essay explaining the motivation for attending law school, career goals, and why the student is a strong candidate for the school. The next element is a resume that focuses on academic achievements and volunteer or work experience.

TLSH also tasks future students with seeking letters of recommendation from professors, mentors, and
employers who can attest to their strong candidacy for law school. Finally, prospective law students are tasked with writing an experience/perspective statement or essay, if applicable.

TLSH additionally provides a guide to finding financial aid. Herein, future students can find links for scholarships and grants as well as federal and private loans. The website also provides resources for finding work-study opportunities to offset the costs of law school while also gaining valuable experience in the profession.

Current Law Students
TLSH’s second general path is for current law students. Here the website covers topics such as trial advocacy, judicial clerkships, preparing for bar exams, finding a career after law school, and more.

Among the resources on this path of TLSH is a guide to mental health for law students. The website contains a comprehensive list of advice centered on the importance of time management, exercise and nutrient-rich diets, mindfulness, and social connections during law school. Throughout the website’s mental health page are links to TLAP resources. For example, students can find on the website a link to the TLAP Support Toolbox, which provides remote lawyer and law student support resources and support groups. They can also find contact information for TLAP, including its 24/7 hotline, 800-343-TLAP (8527), for help with substance use and other mental health issues by staff professionals. Students can also find videos with advice on working full time and attending classes at night or career guidance in the form of links to streamlined job searches, tips for negotiating pay, and tips for preparing for job interviews.

Masri said TLSH provides information to everyone including those who would not otherwise have it like from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, immigrant communities, or those without mentors or lawyers in their lives.

“Law school can feel like a mystery,” Masri said. “I want students to know they’re not alone in the decision. Texas lawyers are selfless servants to the bar and our shared profession. We want to see the next generation of lawyers find success in the practice. We hope that the Law Student Hub will provide students with the essentials to know about admissions, financial aid, and the benefits of attending law school.”