Sarah Babcock Pursues Joint Veterinary Medicine/Law Degree When Sarah Babcock came to MSU, she didn’t want to choose between a degree in law and one in veterinary medicine—so she did both and became the first student to pursue a joint JD-DVM degree from MSU-DCL and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Sarah Babcock Some people find her majors an odd mix, but she thinks they are a logical combination. “Law school is a solid educational background, no matter what you choose to do,” said Babcock. “Most people who have worked in veterinary medicine appreciate the need for a background in law and are very supportive of what I’m doing.” The most striking difference between her programs is the way the classes are conducted. Veterinary school primarily consists of lecture with considerable lab and classroom time, in a relaxed atmosphere. In contrast, law students learn mostly by case studies and get called on frequently in their interactive classroom environment. In law school, she added, she does a lot of writing and reading, and most of her work is outside the classroom. Those differences have created a balance for Babcock. Each program has areas of concentration that complement the other. For example, MSU-DCL offers classes in law and medicine, animal law and wildlife law. The College of Veterinary Medicine offers instruction in practice management, including veterinary issues in business and law, as well as courses in public health and a clerkship at the American Veterinary Medical Association Governmental Relations Division in Washington, D.C. Over the years, Babcock has completed many internships and externships where she has noticed a need for someone with a background in law to represent the legal issues that veterinarians face—malpractice, animal cruelty, informed consent, foreign animal disease and quarantine laws, and policy development. Her most recent internship was at the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Agriculture Division. Babcock expects to complete both programs in 2004, after which she hopes to obtain a position closely related to her interest in policy development and veterinary medical issues. Excerpted with permission from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni News, Breanna Isbell-Shepherd, writer MSU-DCL to Participate in NYC Recruiting Conference MSU-DCL has been invited to co-sponsor the Big Apple Recruiting Conference, a national event targeting New York City area legal employers. MSU-DCL Career Services staff and selected students will travel to New York in August to meet with employers seeking applicants for full-time, permanent, summer and other positions. Staff members from the University of Georgia School of Law are organizing the event. Other invited sponsoring schools include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Cumberland, DePaul, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Loyola Chicago, Memphis, Miami, Northwestern, Santa Clara, South Carolina, Tennessee, Valparaiso, Washington and Wake Forest.