Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum and a panel of local lawyers and judges will be on campus to talk to students about pursuing a career in law tonight at an informational forum hosted by Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity, Inc.

Blum, Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge George Eskin, local Defense Attorney Sam Eaton and several other panelists will speak about their careers in the legal profession and answer questions from students at the free event, which starts at 7:30 p.m. in Corwin Pavilion. Jeremiah Harvey, treasurer of Phi Alpha Delta, said the event is sponsored by the fraternity and the Associated Students Legal Resource Center, and is specifically geared towards giving law and society majors a chance to ask real lawyers questions about their profession.

“This event will include a panel of lawyers, who are all Phi Alpha Delta alumni, who will answer questions about getting into law school, taking the LSATs, getting a job after law school, and the politics in the work place,” Harvey said.

Phi Alpha Delta President David Brown said Law & Society is an overcrowded major, and the event is designed to give students in the program a competitive edge when applying for law school.

“The speakers will give Law and Society majors at UCSB a greater edge in the real world,” Brown said. “The mayor of Santa Barbara and different lawyers from many different firms and offices will give law students at UCSB better insight and perspective on everything in the law business, from LSATs to family issues.”

Robin Unander, a professor at UCSB and a private attorney, said the speakers will not only discuss their careers, but will tell students what they would do differently and what lessons they want students to take away from the forum.

“We would like to give students a chance to talk to real people in the legal profession and dispel some of the notions developed by watching lawyers on TV,” Unander said. “We want the students to be aware of [Phi Alpha Delta] – the pre-law fraternity on campus – as well as the A.S. Legal Resource Center.”

Brown said the popularity of the Law & Society major at UCSB may cause the program to suspend admitting new majors as soon as Fall 2006, and it has also resulted in a large group of students who are in need of information about legal careers.

“The program is in response to a request from the thriving Law & Society majors at UCSB – one of the most crowded majors on campus.” Brown said.

Unander said she hopes students will take advantage of the opportunity to speak with people who are pursuing careers in law.

“We want to provide an opportunity for both pre-law students and anyone interested in law, to ask fair-game questions of some of the most esteemed legal personnel in Santa Barbara,” Unander said. “The panel includes a [Superior] Court judge and the mayor. We expect a big turnout.”

Phi Alpha Delta and the A.S. Legal Resource Center will also sponsor an LSAT workshop Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. in the Harbor Room of the UCen.