‘Growing Careers’ webinar will focus on how to start, run ag law student associations
“The goal of this webinar is to help drive interest in expanding existing student associations as well as starting new ones in all corners of the country.” — Harrison Pittman
By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Aug. 26, 2024
Fast facts:
- NALC and AALA webinar explores development of student ag law associations
- NALC Director Pittman will present other ag professionals
- Registration is free online
(466 words)
Download related photo of Pittman
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Law students interested in agricultural law have student associations
available to them for networking, learning and other career opportunities, they just
have to know where to look — or, how to build one.
An upcoming webinar in the National Agricultural Law Center’s “Growing Careers” series
will feature insight on starting and growing these programs and the role they can
play in professional development.
“Growing Careers: Planning for the Success in Starting and Maintaining an Agricultural
Law Student Association” will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. Central/Noon
Eastern. The “Growing Careers” webinar series for law students is a joint effort from
the National Ag Law Center, or NALC, and American Agricultural Law Association, or AALA. The series is a part
of the NALC’s Bridges Initiative, a student-focused effort designed to provide a legal-focused pipeline of talent
into the agricultural and food industries.
“Student associations focusing on agricultural and food law can be a great learning
and career development tool for law students,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said.
“The goal of this webinar is to help drive interest in expanding existing student
associations as well as starting new ones in all corners of the country.”
The webinar will briefly discuss the background of AALA and NALC, along with resources
both organizations offer. It will also explore best practices for student law associations,
examples of organizational documents, and a question-and-answer portion. Registration
for the webinar is free and available online.
“In addition to the information and resources we plan to share, we want this to be
a discussion that helps law students, including prospective students, in any way that
we can,” Pittman said.
During the webinar, Pittman will be joined by a panel of agricultural professionals:
Austin Vincent, co-chair for the AALA Students and Young Professionals Outreach Committee
and staff attorney for the Kansas Department of Agriculture; Caitlin Klingenberg, co-chair for the AALA Students and Young Professionals Outreach
Committee and intellectual property counsel at Vermeer Corporation; and Regan O’Donnell, law student at the University of North Dakota School of Law and current NALC research fellow.
O’Donnell has first-hand experience with student agricultural law associations, having
founded the Agricultural Law Association at the University of North Dakota School of Law in Fall 2022. She is the current
president of the association, which is modeled after the AALA, and works to connect
students with attorneys in agricultural law and related fields.
“Many great opportunities are available to students through student agricultural law
associations such as ours at the University of North Dakota School of Law,” O’Donnell
said. “I’m looking forward to not only learning about how to grow our student association,
but also sharing lessons we’ve learned since launching in 2022. We want this webinar
to help students interested in such programs build them up and thrive.”
For information about the American Agricultural Law Association, visit aglaw-assn.org. The AALA also is on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge
to The Feed, the NALC’s twice-monthly newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing
agriculture.
About the National Agricultural Law Center
The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural
and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal
policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many
others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information
to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and
works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural
Library.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to
participate or need materials in another format, please contact dviguet@uark.edu as
soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media contact:
Drew Viguet
Communications & Special Projects Coordinator
National Agricultural Law Center
dviguet@uark.edu