UA Law Receives Grant to Help Increase Diversity in Legal Profession

UA Law Receives Grant to Help Increase Diversity in Legal Profession

The Alabama PLUS Program will invite about 30 undergraduate students to the Law School in the summers of 2018, 2019 and 2020 to expose them to the joys and rigors of legal education for four weeks.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama School of Law has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Law School Admission Council to create the Alabama Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars Program to help prepare students for the law school admission process, success in law school and careers in the legal profession.

The Alabama PLUS Program will invite about 30 undergraduate students to the Law School in the summers of 2018, 2019 and 2020 to expose them to the joys and rigors of legal education for four weeks. Participants will focus on becoming competitive law school applicants, professional development and exposure to different legal practice areas.

“I’m grateful to the Law School Admission Council for the opportunity to offer a Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars Program at Alabama Law,” said Dr. Mark E. Brandon, dean of UA’s School of Law. “This is an opportunity for the Law School to contribute to the lives of aspiring law students and a way for those students to enrich the life of the Law School.”

The program is designed to attract promising students from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession and from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as students facing other significant barriers to entering the legal profession. Preference will be given to students who have registered for DiscoverLaw.org, a LSAC campaign that encourages racially and ethnically diverse students to discover career opportunities in law.

“The Law School is excited about the receipt of the LSAC grant to further its diversity initiatives,” said Daiquiri J. Steele, director of diversity & inclusion and assistant professor of law in residence. “The Law School’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion is committed to furthering diversity in the legal profession, and the Alabama PLUS program will allow us to expand our efforts in this area.”

The program is open to students who have completed their freshman or sophomore years at four-year colleges and universities, technical colleges, and community colleges. Eligible students must have completed between 24 and 60 credit hours by the start of the PLUS Program and have a minimum grade point average of 2.5. For more information and to apply, visit www.law.ua.edu/PLUS.

About the UA School of Law

One of America’s leading public law schools and consistently ranked as one of the best values in legal education, The University of Alabama School of Law offers a challenging curriculum with over 150 electives, several dual enrollment opportunities, Master of Laws degrees, and a J.S.D. With a student-to-faculty ratio of  8.7:1, the Law School offers students a rigorous, hands-on learning experience, with strong student engagement in clinical programs, legal journals, moot court teams and trial advocacy.

Contact

Monique Fields, manager of communications, UA School of Law, 205-348-5195, mfields@law.ua.edu; UA media relations, 205-348-5320