ADA – East Central University has named Dr. Jacintha Webster as its new pre-law advisor, effective immediately.
“Coming from a rural background, I know what attending law school meant to me and my community,” said Webster. “I am excited to contribute to helping the next generation of scholars embark on this journey.”
The pre-law advisor assists students in navigating the law school application process. Webster, who is an assistant professor of Legal Studies at ECU, replaces Dr. Christine Pappas in the role. Pappas, who is chair of ECU’s Politics, Law and Society department, had served as pre-law advisor since 2005.
“I truly love helping students prepare for law school, but I felt it was time to pass the job on to a new person,” Pappas said. “As a recent law school graduate with several years of experience as an attorney, I know Dr. Webster will provide excellent practical advice.”
Webster graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Political Science degree in 2012 and from Oklahoma City University with a Juris Doctorate in 2016. She has also served as a staff attorney for Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS) and the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She specializes in Indian Law and is chair of that section of the Oklahoma Bar Association.
Webster collaborated with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation last summer on a Pre-Law Camp for Native American junior high and high school students who are interested in legal careers and she said she plans to repeat that camp next summer.
ECU’s Legal Studies majors are very successful in being admitted to law school. Over the past five years, all 22 applicants have been admitted to law schools across the country. Building on this success, the Legal Studies program and OCU Law have signed a memorandum of agreement that states that ECU students admitted there can complete their full education in six years.
The Legal Studies program also collaborates with OILS. Program majors work with the Native American Legal Clinic and serve as paralegals for attorneys working on OILS cases. This mutually beneficial partnership gives students practical experience, while providing much-needed support for OILS attorneys.
Webster has scheduled a meeting for students interested in attending law school for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, September 30, in the Hargrave Moot Court Room located on the second floor of ECU’s Chickasaw Business and Conference Center. For more information, contact Webster via email at jwebster@ecok.edu or Pappas at cpappas@ecok.edu.
Cutline: Dr. Jacintha Webster, at far right, with East Central University Legal Studies students Brandon Denney, Rain Reibein, Melanie Andrews and Audrey Kahwaty.
-ECU-