Law schools are attempting to increase their enrollments of students who traditionally have been underrepresented in the legal profession. In keeping with most law schools’ desire to admit students who have a variety of backgrounds, accomplishments, skills, and experiences, law schools look at the “holistic applicant.” They are interested in the educational, cultural, and economic setting in which the applicant developed and the conditions, e.g., having to work, under which the student prepared for law school.
Check out these resources:
- ABA – Center for Racial & Ethnic Diversity – Comprehensive source for data about minorities in the legal profession.
- ABA – Women in the Profession – Aims not only to report the challenges that women lawyers face, but to bring about change in the legal workplace.
- LSAC – Accommodated Testing for the LSAT – For students with disabilities. Also check out Berkeley Career Engagement’s page on disability disclosure.
- LSAC – LGBT Applicants – Information for LGBT students regarding selecting law schools and application concerns. See also Berkeley Career Engagement LGBTQ+ page for info on disclosure.
- LSAC – Racial/Ethnic Minority Applicants – Information for minority students regarding selecting law schools and application concerns. See also LSAC – Diversity Matters Grant available to underrepresented students.
Preparation & Financial Support:
- Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program – This program aims to increase diversity in law schools and, eventually in the legal profession by subsidizing LSAT prep and law school application expenses of diverse, high-performing college students who have difficulty paying the expenses associated with applying to law school.
- MTO Fellows -The MTO Fellows Program is a ten-month initiative aimed at preparing 25-40 aspiring diverse students for admission to and success in law school. The program seeks applicants from all backgrounds and strives to increase the diversity of the legal profession. All MTO Fellows will participate in an intensive LSAT course Monthly, Saturday Workshop and opportunities to connect with a strong network of law students and practicing attorneys.
- UC Davis King Hall Outreach Program, UC Irvine Pre-Law Outreach Program and UCLA Law Fellows
- LevelBar – LevelBar supports scholars as fully as possible in their preparation for a jurisprudence degree.
- ABA – Fund for Justice and Education – Provides students with financial assistance to attend law school. During his term as ABA President, William G. Paul, initiated the scholarship to encourage racially and ethnically diverse students to apply to and attend law school.
- LSAC’s Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS): Offers four-week programs that provide an intense focus on the skills required to succeed in law school, the law school admissions process, and a legal career. There is no cost to attend and participants receive a $1,000 stipend.