Friday, October 9 – Saturday, October 10, 2026
The Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA), and Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) are pleased to host the 16th Annual Professional Development Bootcamp (“Bootcamp”) for their members. Bootcamp connects students with Cornell alumni in private practice and public interest practice throughout the United States to foster professional development skills, provide an opportunity for networking, and a venue for students to learn about a variety of practice areas and settings.
Program Agenda
Friday, October 9, 2026
Attire: Business Formal
4:00 – 5:50 PM
DC Roadshow [BLSA Only]
Location: Myron Taylor Hall, Room 182 and The Gallery
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Bootcamp Reception
Location: The Statler Ballroom Foyer
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Bootcamp Dinner & Keynote Speaker Remarks
Andowah Nelson (JD ’06)
Location: The Statler Ballroom
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Attire: Business Formal
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Check-in and Breakfast
Location: Myron Taylor Hall, The Gallery
Coffee, tea, fruit, and pastries will be served.
10:30 – 11:45 AM
Panel Session 1
Concurrent Sessions
Unwritten Rules of Big Law: Litigation Practices in Big Law
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 184
Litigation and disputes attorneys will discuss their day-to-day life in Big Law litigation, including staffing, workflow, and building trust with partners and teams. Panelists will also cover practical, unwritten best practices for successfully navigating life at a law firm and standing out as a junior associate.
Panelists: Information to Come!
Unwritten Rules of Big Law: Transactional Practices in Big Law
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 186
Transactional attorneys will demystify the rhythms and expectations of corporate practice in Big Law: How deals run, what junior associates do at each stage, and how to develop the judgment and communication habits that make you a standout junior associate. Panelists will share their experience and discuss concrete tips on managing timelines, collaborating across specialist teams, and working effectively with a wide array of clients.
Panelists: Information to Come!
Public Interest
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 182
Public interest attorneys will discuss their work—including best practices for managing workload, pacing, and deadlines—and offer insights into how decision-making differs from firm practice. Panelists will demystify early-career pathways into public defense or other mission-driven roles and offer tips for students recruiting for public interest roles.
Panelists: Information to Come!
12:00 – 1:15 PM
Panel Session 2
Concurrent Sessions
Clerkships
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 184
Former and current judicial clerks will present on their experiences and the values of clerkships. Panelists will offer practical guidance on the application process, evaluating fit across different courts and chambers, and how to best leverage the experience and skills beyond the clerkship in your career more broadly.
Panelists: Information to Come!
Alternative Careers
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 182
Attorneys who have found successful careers outside of the traditional Big Law track will present on their experiences and career trajectory. Panelists will discuss how they evaluated options outside the common path, what their roles look like in practice, and which skills and habits translate most directly from law school to big law to alternative career paths.
Panelists: Information to Come!
Unwritten Rules of Big Law: Non-NYC Markets
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 186
Big Law careers aren’t limited to New York City: This session highlights how practice, culture, and workflow can differ across offices and regions. Panelists will share their experience and advise students how to effectively assess “fit” when weighing multiple geographies.
Panelists: Information to Come!
1:15 – 2:15 PM
Lunch
Location: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, The Gallery
2:15 – 3:30 PM
Mock Interviews
Location: Held throughout Cornell Law School
Attorney volunteers will conduct one-on-one mock interviews and provide feedback to participating students
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Round Table & Closing Remarks
BLSA: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 182
LALSA: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 184
NALSA: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Room 186
Each student organization will host an alumni roundtable designed for candid, relaxed, small-group conversation. Students can ask practical questions about recruiting and networking strategies, practice area selection, navigating workplace culture, mentorship, and career planning.
To close, student leaders will offer brief closing remarks tailored to their respective organization–highlighting key takeaways from the weekend, thanking our alumni, and outlining next steps for students who want continued guidance after Bootcamp.
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Reception at The Statler
Location: The Statler Rooms E & F
Socialize and network with students and attorneys as we conclude Bootcamp.
Guest Information
Getting around Ithaca. Many hotels offer shuttles from the airport, including the Statler Hotel from 7:00 AM to 11:30 PM daily. Check with the front desk of your hotel to arrange transportation. TCAT now has a Google Trip planner to assist with getting from the airport or downtown to campus. Uber and Lyft are also available throughout Ithaca.
Parking at the Statler. Valet parking and self-parking are available at or near the Statler Hotel.
Parking at the Law School. Parking is available in several lots directly behind the Law School and no permit is required after 5 PM on Friday. If you are planning to visit the Law School during the day on Friday, you can pay to park utilizing Park Mobile spaces on-campus or park at the nearby municipal lot in Collegetown.
Sponsors
The Bootcamp Planning Committee would like to express our immense gratitude to our corporate sponsors for making Bootcamp 2026 possible:
If you want to get involved or sponsor our student Career Days, please email cls_studentactivities@cornell.edu.
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