What is the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and Crime Scene Investigation? The National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and CSI introduces the nation’s highest achievers to careers in the legal and forensics fields. Since 1995, this six-day program has offered students the opportunity to directly participate in and personally observe the legal process in action at courthouses, interact with faculty from renowned law schools and meet professionals from some of the nation’s top law firms. Attending students test the fundamentals of law through simulations and engage in debate over controversial legal issues actually facing our country today.

Nationally-recognized legal professionals address forum students, provide rare insight on current issues and detail the paths they took to rise to the top of the legal profession. Students directly participate in stimulating question and answer sessions with these distinguished professionals. Area law schools also open their doors to forum students and share the excitement of a legal education as seen through the eyes of law students, professors and admissions officers. In addition, local and federal courts receive students attending the Forum on Law and CSI. Past site visits to the U.S. Supreme Court have included a welcome by the resident judicial fellow. On special occasions individual Supreme Court Justices themselves have met with the Forum Law and CSI students.

Who is eligible to participate on Law and CSI? Students attending the Forum this fall 2010 must be in the 10th through 12th grade and students attending the Forum next summer 2011 must be in the 9th   through 11th  grade during the 2010/2011 academic year.

How many sessions are there? What are the dates? NYLF on LAW and CSI is held twice a year, with two sessions held in the fall and three during the summer. Students have the opportunity to enroll in one possible session date each cycle. Check the left-hand navigation bar for updated session information.

How many students will be in each session? There are approximately 400 students enrolled in each forum session.

Who are past participating speakers at the Forum? Past participating speakers have included:

• Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court.
• Nadine Strossen, President, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Professor of Law, New York Law School.
• Eric H. Holder, Jr., Partner, Covington & Burling; Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (1997-2001); U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (1993-1997).
• Beth A. Wilkinson, Partner, Latham & Watkins; Prosecutor, Oklahoma City bombing case.
• Professor Jonathan Turley, J.B. Maurice Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law, George Washington University.
• Robert L. Shapiro, Partner & Chair, Business Crimes Practice, Christensen, White, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro, LLP.
• Judge Kenneth Starr, Kirland & Ellis, Partner, Adjunct Professor, New York School of Law.

Who are the faculty advisors? Forum faculty advisors will have an array of diverse backgrounds, and many will be first or second year law students, lawyers, retired lawyers or teachers. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required of all faculty advisors. The faculty advisors attend a mandatory pre-program training session where they learn the law curriculum and facilitation techniques. NYLF performs complete background checks on all of our staff.

What is the ratio of staff members to students? 1-to-17.

What is the Student Code of Conduct? Click here to read the complete Student Code of Conduct.

Where can I get a sample schedule? Please click here to view a sample schedule, which is provided to demonstrate the pace and composition of a typical session.

What does tuition cover? Tuition covers hotel accommodations, all breakfasts and dinners, charter bus transportation during the Forum (students are responsible for their own travel to and from Washington, D.C. as well as a $50 roundtrip shuttle fee from the airport to the hotel), instruction, speakers, program materials, supervisory personnel and all activities throughout the six-day program. Students will need money for lunches and any incidentals they wish to purchase.

Does NYLF offer financial assistance? The National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and CSI is proud to offer a limited number of scholarships to students. Through the scholarship program, NYLF opens the door to young leaders from a variety of backgrounds across the U.S.

How do I apply for a Scholarship? Your Student ID can be found in the letter and on the Enrollment Application you received in the mail. If you have enrolled in the program, your Student ID can also be found in your acceptance materials. When entering your Student ID, be sure to include the dash. (Ex: 1000000-10000000).

Where do I find my Student ID to access the online scholarship application? If you received a letter and other materials in the mail regarding your nomination to attend The National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and CSI, click here to view all available scholarships.

For nominees who are interested in fundraising to help offset the cost of tuition, NYLF has prepared a Sponsorships & Student Fundraising Guide featuring helpful, step-by-step suggestions and activities that enable nominees to fundraise.

If there are a limited number of spaces in NYLF on LAW and CSI and Enrollment Applications are processed in the order in which they are received, what if no spaces are available by the time I am able to accrue full tuition through fundraising? We recognize that fundraising may delay the submission of your application, so we encourage you to contact the Office of Admissions once you initiate fundraising efforts. While we cannot guarantee a space in the Forum, your call will make us aware of your fundraising efforts and intent to attend.

How are students supervised? The safety and well-being of the participants is our highest priority during the Forum. Attendees are supervised by professional forum staff. Nightly room checks are conducted to ensure that all students are safely in their rooms at Forum curfew; floors are single sex; Forum personnel and local security staff patrol the student areas throughout the evening. Students must stay with the Forum at all times unless written permission is given by a student's parent/guardian prior to participation. Private motor coaches are used; students never use public transportation. Staff continually monitor outside conditions and implement changes in our programs as necessary. All NYLF staff and participants adhere to security procedures in place at facilities visited.

What safety measures does NYLF/MED follow?

• Our staff is stationed at each of the designated airports for each forum location to greet students at the airport and provide transportation to the forum site. For a listing of designated meeting areas in your airport, please see your Bring on Arrival Day! form located in your online enrollment materials.
• We only provide single-sex dorm rooms.
• The student-to-staff ratio is 17-to-1.
• Our staff is comprised of highly trained and experienced faculty advisors.
• Night monitors are on duty each evening.
• Evening room checks occur each night.
• Students travel by private motor coach and never use public transportation.

What time is room check? Forum staff will conduct a room check at 11:00 p.m. each evening. After this room check, participants are required to stay in their rooms.

How can a parent contact a student while she/he is at the Forum? NYLF suggests that families make arrangements in advance regarding phone contact. Students will have very little free time during the Forum and spend little time in sleeping rooms. Cell phones are permitted at the Forum and may be used during social times. Calling cards are also strongly recommended. In case of an emergency, parents can contact the field office and speak with the office coordinator. The office coordinator will contact the appropriate member of the staff to locate the student and ensure he/she calls home.

Where will I stay while at the Forum on Law & CSI? The summer 2012 sessions are being housed at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles hotel in Chantilly, VA, located just outside of Washington, D.C.

What are the accommodations like for students while participating in the Forum? All students are housed two to three to a room, and each student will have his or her own bed. Linens, blankets, pillows and towels will be provided. Students should bring all of the clothing they will need for the duration of the Forum, as forum activities are scheduled from morning through evening and students will not have time to do laundry. There are no dry cleaning facilities convenient to the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles. Telephones are located in each room and calling cards must be used to make outgoing phone calls or students will be charged for any outgoing calls made from their rooms and should be prepared to take care of this bill. Additionally, we encourage students to bring mobile phones; however, they must remain off during scheduled forum activities.

Can I request a roommate? If not, how are roommates selected? Roommate requests are not accepted. We randomly assign rooms and roommates prior to arrival day. This is done to give students the opportunity to get to know their peers from other areas of the country. We strongly believe that learning about - and from - other young leaders from all over the country provides a significant leadership development opportunity.

When should I book my travel arrangements to attend the Forum? Once you have received confirmation that you have been enrolled in your desired session, you can begin making any travel arrangements. Feel free to contact WorldTEK, the official travel agency of the National Youth Leadership Forum, for assistance at (800) 522-1733, or you may book your travel online at www.nylf.org/WorldTEK. WorldTEK will answer any questions you may have regarding your travel, complete all of your travel arrangements and provide your necessary travel documents and materials for the reasonable fee of $28.

Which local airports should students fly into and out of for the Forum on Law & CSI? For students attending the Forum on Law & CSI, our staff will be stationed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on the first day of the Forum to meet students when they arrive.

Please note, students must arrive between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the first day of their forum session and depart between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the last day of their forum session.

Where do I meet the staff at the airport? NYLF staff members will be stationed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) and Washington Dulles International (IAD) airports in the baggage claim area. Please refer to your Bring On Arrival Day Form or the Information for Scholars and Families booklet in your acceptance materials for specific meeting places. Students should first retrieve their luggage and then meet at their designated meeting areas. Staff will escort students directly to the shuttle (see below for more information).

Is there a shuttle service provided from the airport? For your convenience, shuttle service between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall or Washington Dulles International airports and the housing location is available for a $50 nonrefundable roundtrip fee. Please note that the fee for the airport shuttle service is still $50 even if you only utilize the shuttle one-way. The first series of shuttles will depart at approximately noon and, thereafter, will run continuously. You can make a shuttle reservation and pay the $50 shuttle fee online by submitting your Mandatory Pre-Program Information Form at www.nylf.org/law/info.

Can I book my flight directly through NYLF? The National Youth Leadership Forum has selected WorldTEK, a travel management company, to serve as its official travel agency. We highly recommend that NYLF families contact WorldTEK to determine the lowest available airfares and arrange their travel. Click here to learn more.

What is the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan? Each student has the option of enrolling in our Tuition and Travel Protection Plan for an additional fee. This trip cancellation insurance is recommended and can be purchased during enrollment. If you would like to know more specifics about the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan, please call the plan administrator, Nationwide, toll-free at (866) 282-3987.

What kind of spending money will scholars need at the Forum? NYLF recommends students bring approximately $8 to $10 a day for lunches and a little extra for incidentals.

What is the dress code? Professional attire is required during most days and at some evening events for most NYLF programs. However, there are also times where relaxed professional attire is appropriate. Semi-formal or professional attire will be required at any closing ceremony or dinner dance. Comfortable dress shoes are a must for Law & CSI as the Forum requires a lot of walking.

What is professional attire? Professional attire is required during the day and for some evening events at the Forum. For men, this includes the following: a blazer, shirt and tie, slacks (no denim) or a suit. Dress shoes are required. Athletic shoes are not permitted. For women, this includes: dresses, suits, blouses with jackets or sweaters. No denim or sheer fabrics. Skirts must fall at the knee or below. Dress shoes are required, although heels are not recommended.

What is relaxed professional attire? Relaxed professional attire is required on Thursday night. For men, this includes the following: collared shirts and pants.For women this includes the following: professional attire (minus jackets) or dress pants and blouses. All skirts must fall below the knee. No sweat pants or athletic pants or shorts. When the itinerary calls for "relaxed professional attire," the following items will not be permitted: Jeans, printed T-shirts, sportswear and athletic shoes.

What is casual attire? Casual attire will be permitted on arrival day, after the completion of all scheduled events and ondeparture day. For both men and women, the following guidelines apply for casual attire: Including but not limited to denim, T-shirts, shorts, athletic shoes, and flip flops. Skirts must fall at or below the knee. Sweatpants and athletic or mesh shorts are not permitted. Consistent with our Student Code of Conduct, offensive or inappropriate clothing will not be permitted.

What is the pre-Forum assignment FUEL? The first step of your journey includes assessing your strengths and opportunities for growth. To aid in this assessment, you must complete a pre-Forum assignment entitled Feedback for Understanding Emerging Leaders (FUEL)..

When is the deadline to submit my FUEL form? Is the assignment mandatory? Please ask your mentors and peers to complete the survey no later than one week prior to your arrival at the Forum. You will see the results on the first day of the Forum. The assignment is mandatory for all scholars.

How many people need to complete my survey?All students must complete a self-evaluation form and select at least five mentors and at least five peers whom you know and respect, and ask them to complete a short survey. The mentors you select may be teachers, coaches, youth group leaders or other adult mentors you know. The peers you select may be friends, classmates, teammates or other people your age who interact with you on a regular basis. You will need to ask your mentors and peers to go to this web site: www.nylf.org/law/fuel. They will need to enter your Student ID number, which can be found in your acceptance letter. Please ask your mentors and peers to complete the survey no later than one week prior to your arrival at the Forum. You will see the results on the first day of the Forum.

What if my scholar loses something, or forgets to bring a personal item home after the Forum?All lost and found items are retained by staff for two weeks following the forum session. Items of higher monetary value are retained for 30 days after the forum session concludes. After 30 days, all items remaining are discarded or donated. We strongly recommend following the advice provided in the suggested packing list, which includes placing your scholar’s name on all personal belongings that he or she will be bringing to the Forum.

My question is not listed. If your question is not listed above, please click here to contact the Office of Admissions.