Items of Interest: Scholarships, Pre-Law Summer Programs, and Law School Events

Boston University Summer Prelaw Academy

In summer 2024, with support from LSAC’s Plus Program, Boston University will again host the BU Summer Prelaw Academy (BU-SPLA), a residential four-week program focused on countering structural and environmental forces that unevenly tax students who are underrepresented in the legal profession. 

BU-SPLA will expose students to foundational law school coursework, critical race theory, and experiential learning. Students will also learn about the law school admissions process and be mentored while working on a personal statement, an optional statement, and a resume. And of course, students will enjoy social outings in Boston and the opportunity to build community with their peers. BU Law faculty and staff will come together to welcome, teach, and support BU-SPLA students and offer a glimpse into what it is like to be a student at BU Law.

There is no cost to apply to or attend the program. Travel to and from Boston, housing during the program, and many meals will be covered. The program will host several social events on campus and outings in Boston. Additionally, all PLUS participants who complete the program will receive a $1000 stipend and an LSAC fee waiver.

BU-SPLA will take place from June 3–28, 2024. The application is now open and the deadline to apply is March 15, 2024.

They will be hosting an informational webinar on March 4, 2024, to answer questions. The link to register is below. 

Register for the March webinar:

https://bostonu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_COAciDdOTQyZwVN3SEvibw

New York LEO applications now open!

NY LEO is an intensive five-week law school preparation program scheduled to take place from June 1, 2023, through July 7, 2023, at the New York State Judicial Institute, the court system’s judicial education and training center, located on the campus of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, in White Plains, New York. The program is designed to provide a solid foundation for success in law school by strengthening the analytical, writing and study skills of prospective law students. Classes are taught by full-time faculty from New York State law schools.  Past courses have included:  Introduction to Torts; Legal Skills, Analysis and Writing; Introduction to Contracts; and Introduction to Civil Procedure.

NY LEO Fellows live on campus, attend classes four days a week and spend one day a week engaged in experiential learning opportunities and meeting with judges and lawyers to learn more about the legal profession. Each Fellow is paired with a judge or attorney who mentors the student throughout the first year of law school.  Tuition, room and board, modified meal plan, books, and supplies are provided free of charge to participants thanks to funding provided by the New York State Assembly and Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner, a 2009 NY LEO alumna. 

To be eligible to participate in NY LEO, an applicant is required: 1) to be from a group traditionally underrepresented in the law; 2) to be a resident of New York; and 3) to be a college graduate by June 2023; and 4) to have been accepted or have an application pending at a New York law school for Fall 2023 enrollment. 

NY LEO application forms and additional information are available at: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/leo/geo.shtml

LOW COST PRACTICE LSAT OPPORTUNITY!

The University at Buffalo School of Law is offering a virtually and in-person LSAT Prep Workshop and Practice Test events to help you prepare for the LSAT. Come and learn what skills you will need to succeed in getting the best LSAT score possible. The following in-person LSAT Prep events will take place  in O'Brian Hall, University at Buffalo, North Campus.

LSAT Prep Workshop

Schedule:

9:30 a.m. – Registration

10:00 a.m. - Workshop begins

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Lunch

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Workshop continues

Saturday, September 24th, 2022

Saturday, October 22nd, 2022

Saturday, December 3rd, 2022

No refunds are available 48 hours prior to the workshop.

Be prepared for test day! Learn valuable test-taking strategies. A Practice Test costs $50 and includes test administration of LSAT Prep Test, lunch, a 3-hour review and Q&A with Erin Decker '16 who scored a perfect 180 on the LSAT.

LSAT Practice Tests

Schedule:

8:30 -9:00 a.m. - Check-in

9:00 -9:30 a.m. - Test Taking Strategies

9:30 a.m. -12:45 p.m. - Administer LSAT Prep Test 83

12:45 - 1:45 p.m. – Lunch

1:45 - 4:00 p.m. – Review

Saturday, October 1st, 2022, (LSAT Prep Test 86)

Saturday, January 7th, 2023 (LSAT Prep Test 83)

No refunds are available 48 hours prior to the practice test.

New from LSAT: You can now purchase the score preview for more than just your first administration of the exam. Cancels do count towards the limit of 3-per year and 7 per lifetime on the number of times you may test. You can still decide to purchase score preview after the test for a limited period. Purchasing ahead of time is still $45, but purchasing after the first day of your scheduled test administration is now $75.

See the FAQs here:

https://www.lsac.org/lsat/lsat-scoring/lsat-score-preview

Free Webinars from AccessLex

What the Legal Job Market Looks Like and How Pre-Law Students Can Prepare for Success featuring Donna Gerson, NALP's Pre-Law Representative and Associate Dean for Career Strategies at Drexel University Kline School of Law, Tues., July 19, 2022, 2pm-3pm ET, Zoom Webinar. In this session, Dean Gerson will present data on the law job market and share feedback on how pre-law students can begin to strategize about which law school to attend and career path(s) to pursue. Isabelle M. Ramos, Pre-Law Program Director at Montclair State University, will serve as host and moderator for the discussion.  Register now for the event. (see attached event flyer)

How to Identify and Support Underrepresented Pre-Law Students featuring Leaders of National Law Student Groups (National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, National Black Law Student Association, National Latina/o/x Law Student Association, National LGBTQ+ Bar Law Student Congress, and National Native American Law Student Association), Wed., July 20, 2022, 2pm-3:30pm ET, Zoom Webinar. This is a unique opportunity to hear from current law students, who are elected leaders of national law student affinity groups, about the programs and services their respective organizations offer pre-law students and how pre-law advisors can support pre-law students from underrepresented backgrounds on their journey to thriving and belonging in law school. Isabelle M. Ramos, Pre-Law Program Director at Montclair State University, will serve as host and moderator for the discussion.  Register now for the event. (see attached event flyer)

Legal Education Economics: How to Prepare Now for Your Law Career Investment featuring AccessLex Institute’s Teria M. Thornton, J.D., AFC®, CDP®, Education Services & Diversity Initiatives Director, Tues., July 26, 2022, 2pm-3pm ET, Zoom Webinar. A legal education can pay tangible and intangible dividends over your lifetime. In this session, we’ll discuss how to calculate your law school ROI and share resources that can help you optimize it.  Isabelle M. Ramos, Pre-Law Program Director at Montclair State University, will serve as host and moderator for the discussion. Register here to participate. (see attached event flyer)

Free Webinars from AccessLex: 

Applying to Law School – Friday, June 24 at 3:00 pm ET

Your Law School Investment – Thursday, June 30 at 4:00 pm ET 

Diversity Programs

• 30 spots remain for LexScholars by AccessLex®! Acceptance is offered on a first-come, first-selected basis so eligible students planning to attend law school in the fall of 2023 should apply today! 

The University at Buffalo School of Law is offering a LSAT Prep Workshop and Practice Test events to help you prepare for the LSAT. Come and learn what skills you will need to succeed in getting the best LSAT score possible. The following LSAT Prep events will take place in-person in O'Brian Hall, University at Buffalo, North Campus.

LSAT Prep Workshop

Saturday, July 9, 2022

Schedule:

9:30 a.m. – Registration

10:00 a.m. - Workshop begins

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Lunch

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Workshop continues

No refunds are available 48 hours prior to the workshop.

Be prepared for test day! Learn valuable test-taking strategies. A Practice Test costs $50 and includes test administration of LSAT Prep Test 83, lunch, a 2-hour review and Q&A with Erin Decker '16 who scored a perfect 180 on the LSAT.

LSAT Practice Tests

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Schedule:

8:30 -9:00 a.m. - Check-in

9:00 -9:30 a.m. - Test Taking Strategies

9:30 a.m. -12:45 p.m. - Administer LSAT Prep Test 83

12:45 - 1:45 p.m. – Lunch

1:45 - 4:00 p.m. – Review

No refunds are available 48 hours prior to the practice test.

SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY!

The NY LEO Program is accepting applications for its 2022 LEO Fellow Class!

NY LEO is designed to assist educationally and economically disadvantaged students and those students traditionally underrepresented in the legal field in acquiring the skills necessary to succeed in law school. The program is seeking applicants who are New York residents, who will have received their undergraduate degrees by June 2022 and who have been accepted by or have an application pending at a law school in New York State.

NY LEO is an intensive six-week summer program offered by the New York State Judicial Institute from June 5-July 14, 2022. The program introduces students to first year law school courses and provides a mentoring program. NY LEO provides students, free of charge, with course materials, text books, housing, a meal plan, and access to the libraries and computer facilities of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

For more information, including eligibility and instructions on how to apply, please visit our website www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/leo. Students should click on the tab, “LEO Fellow Application.” The application deadline is May 6, 2022.

UB Discover Law Program

Program dates: June 4 - July 1, 2022

Application Deadline Extended: Monday, March 28, 2022

A Bridge to Law School

Recognizing that there is a shortage of historically underrepresented students entering the field of law, the School of Law created the Discover Law Program to provide an immersive experience for undergraduates interested in pursuing a career in law, expose students to critical thinking and help them develop reading and analytical skills, and provide an in-depth and thorough experience in a four-week residential summer program.

This award-winning intensive summer program, now in its ninth year, has given dozens of bright young scholars a taste of law school life and opened their imaginations to careers in the law. For these promising future lawyers, the experience is already paying off.

Learn more about the program HERE.

Participants will receive a monetary stipend for participation.

The Discover Law application deadline is Monday, March 28, 2022.

Through the generosity of campus and community partners, the Discover Law program is at no cost to participants. Preference is given to:

• Academically promising historically underrepresented and first generation college students

• Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and above

Favorable consideration will be given to students who can demonstrate a record of academic achievement in spite of economic challenges, social or cultural disadvantages, linguistic barriers, extraordinary family circumstances, or personal responsibilities.

Students must submit a completed application package, which will include:

1. Background information,

2. A personal statement of their interest in the Discover Law Undergraduate Scholars Program,

3. An official transcript,

4. Two (2) letters of recommendation

5. A resume.

Discover Law is intended for undergraduate students who have completed first year (freshman), sophomore, or junior year, but who will not begin their senior year prior to the end of the program.

Apply at: https://www.law.buffalo.edu/discover-law/application.html

The University at Buffalo School of Law is offering LSAT Prep Workshops and Practice Test events to help you prepare for the LSAT. Come and learn what skills you’ll need to succeed in getting the best LSAT score possible. All 2021 LSAT Prep events will take place virtually.

LSAT Prep Workshop

Our comprehensive workshop teaches valuable techniques and skills to master the LSAT. Workshops cost $100 and includes instructions with Erin Decker '16 who scored a perfect 180 on the LSAT.

Saturday, September 25 (Part I), 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (est)

Sunday, September 26 (Part II), 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (est)

LSAT Practice Test

Be prepared for test day! Learn valuable test-taking strategies. A Practice Test costs $50 and includes a 3-hour virtual review of LSAT PrepTest May 2020 LSAT-Flex, which is available online through LSAC's free Official LSAT Prep. Attendees are responsible for taking test the May 2020 LSAT-Flex on their own before the review class.

Saturday, October 23, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (est)

SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY!

Mini Law School Webinars from Colorado Law 

Mini Law School:  Law School 101

Wednesdays, September 1, 2021 - October 13, 2021

Registration open now! Deadline August 29, 2021. 

Register for Mini Law School

This seven-week series in Fall 2021 will focus on core concepts taught during the first year of law school.  Open to all, this program is designed for non-lawyers, is an excellent lifelong learning opportunity, and is a great chance to get a taste of what law school is like.  Participants who view at least five of the seven sessions receive a Mini Law School Certificate (no academic credit is received for participation).  There are no required readings, tests, or homework assignments - just a great opportunity to learn about the law!

We anticipate that individuals will be able to participate in Mini Law School this fall in three ways:  (1) live at the University of Colorado Law School's Wolf Law Building, from approximately 6pm to 7:30pm MDT on the night of the lecture; (2) livestreaming the lecture anywhere in the country; or (3) on-demand at any time of your choosing, beginning approximately 2 days after the live lecture.  All participants can watch any lectures they miss live by watching a recording at their convenience at a later date.