MAPLA 2026 Conference

September 17-19, 2026

“Gateway to New Frontiers in Prelaw Advising”

MAPLA is excited to partner with Saint Louis University School of Law (SLU) as the official MAPLA 2026 Conference host.

SLU is located in beautiful downtown St. Louis, MO steps away from the iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch! Conference programming will take place between September 17 – 19, 2026.

Explore the Conference website and helpful links below to learn more about conference accommodations, programming and proposals, registration, attendee scholarships, sponsorships, and more! We look forward to meeting you in St. Louis this fall…

Registration – Open Now!

Registration is now open for the 2026 MAPLA Conference! MAPLA welcomes pre-law advisors, law admissions professionals, and other pre-law/law admissions stakeholders to attend. We hope to meet you in St. Louis this fall.

Additional registration details available here

Conference Hotel:

HOTEL SAINT LOUIS

Hotel Saint Louis will be the designated hotel for the 2026 MAPLA Conference. Hotel Saint Louis is located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, MO within walking distance of our 2026 conference host the Saint Louis University School of Law. The Conference will officially open at Hotel Saint Louis on Thursday, September 17 with a Welcome Reception and conference check-in.

MAPLA has arranged a conference rate of $159.00 per night, utilize the booking link to reserve under the conference rate.

additional details on the conference hotel page

TIP! Be sure to book early as hotel availability downtown may become limited over our conference dates due to the Cardinals home series against the Washington Nationals.

Call for Conference Proposals!

MAPLA welcomes proposals from both new and veteran prelaw advisors as well as law school representatives at the annual conference each year. The 2026 MAPLA Conference “Gateway to New Frontiers in Prelaw Advising” reflects the continually changing landscape of law admissions, prelaw advising, and higher education. It also reflects the emerging topics and new challenges relevant to the current generation of student and applicant populations. While all conference session proposals will be considered, we encourage session proposals that incorporate and reflect this theme where possible.

Session Proposals are due by June 1, 2026. The Conference Programming Committee will make reasonable efforts to make programming decisions by: June 22, 2026.

Learn more about conference proposals here

Conference Scholarships

Attendee scholarships are available for the 2026 Conference. Scholarships funding is available to support direct travel expenses, registration, and hotel accommodation expenses. Conference scholarship applications are due by June 22.

Learn more about Conference Scholarships here

PLANNING FAQs

Can I present at the upcoming conference? MAPLA welcomes conference proposals on a wide-range of topics relevant for prelaw advisors and law admissions stakeholders. Conference proposals for the 2026 Conference are due June 1, selections will be made in summer 2026.
When will conference programming occur over the conference dates? The Conference will officially open on Thursday, September 17 with a Welcome Reception event at the Hotel Saint Louis in the evening between 6:00 – 10:00 pm (event times TBA). There will be a full day of conference programming on Friday, September 18 and partial day of programming on Saturday, September 19 (programming will conclude by 3:30 pm). Exact programming times will be announced in summer 2026.
If I can only budget for two hotel nights, what nights should I stay? We encourage traveling to St. Louis on Thursday, September 17 and minimum hotel accommodations for Thursday and Friday nights with travel departure on Saturday late afternoon/early evening. Hotel details below.
Will food be provided with the Conference? Yes, there will be an early evening reception with food on Thursday night. In addition, breakfast and lunch are included with the Conference registration fee for Friday and Saturday.
Will MAPLA be offering Conference Scholarships for attendees? Yes, Conference scholarship applications with eligibility criteria will open in May with registration details. The deadline to apply for scholarships is June 22.
My organization would like to sponsor the Conference, how do I learn more? We welcome the opportunity to partner with law schools, businesses, and other entities to sponsor the 2026 Conference. Sponsor details will be announced in May 2026. You may also email conference@mapla.org for questions.
I’d like to explore St. Louis! St. Louis has much to offer – below are helpful links for those planning to stay a few extra nights or those looking for additional activities outside of the official Conference Program!