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The Professionals in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) Initiative is an effort to increase knowledge and skills related to using empirical research methods to design, administer, and assess student success programs.
The initiative was launched in 2022 as a partnership between AccessLex Institute® and the Southern Education Foundation. Its purpose is to help foster inclusive student success within law schools.
The initiative is targeted at law school administrators and faculty and consists of two components:
- The PLEDGE Bootcamp: a two-day in-person empirical methods training. The 2026 Bootcamp took place April 29-May 1 at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.
- The PLEDGE Fellowship: a 14-month professional development program in which Fellows complete a Capstone, taking the form of an empirical assessment of a law student-facing program. Applications are open June 1 – July 12 for the 2026-27 cohort.
PLEDGE Fellowship
PLEDGE Fellowship
The PLEDGE Fellowship is a 14-month professional development program in which Fellows complete a Capstone, taking the form of an empirical assessment of a law student-facing program. The program should be premised on fostering inclusive student success. The Fellowship targets experienced law school administrators, faculty members, and other similarly situated professionals.
Teams of two Fellows will undertake program assessments, called Capstones, using empirical research methods focusing on one of the following three topical strands:
- Admission and Access
- Academic Performance
- Bar Exam Performance
Fellowship teams will receive the following funding and support premised on enhancing the feasibility and quality of their work:
- Capstone budget: up to $25,000 for research activities
- Stipend: $4,000 per Fellow
- Access to Capstone design expertise
- Access to professional development coaching
Important Dates:
- Fellowship Application:
- Launch: June 1, 2026
- Submission deadline: July 12, 2026
- Fellowship teams announced: August 7, 2026
- Fellowship:
- Begins: September 9-11, 2026 (Southern Education Foundation headquarters - Atlanta, GA)
- Ends: November 2027 (LexCon '27 - host city TBD)
Please feel free to send questions about the Fellowship to [email protected].
Fellowship Structure
Fellowship Structure
Fellowship cohorts will be comprised of up to three teams of two Fellows each, made up of experienced law school administrators, faculty members, or other similarly situated professionals.
Each Fellowship team will undertake a program assessment, called a Capstone, using empirical research methods, focusing on one of the following three strands:
- Admission and Access: must center on assessing the impact of a conditional admission or law school exposure or preparation program
- Academic Performance: must center on assessing the impact of a program designed to foster law school academic success
- Bar Exam Performance: must center on assessing the impact of a program designed to foster bar exam passage, particularly among students most at risk of not passing
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The Fellowship will last September 2026 through November 2027 and comprise of nine Fellowship meetings: five two-day, in-person meetings and four 90-minute virtual meetings. Meetings will take place roughly every seven to eight weeks. Each Fellowship team will be expected to host an in-person meeting at their home institution.
Fellowship teams will receive the following funding and support premised on enhancing the feasibility and quality of their work:
- Capstone budget: up to $25,000 for research activities
- Stipend: $4,000 per Fellow
- Access to Capstone design expertise
- Access to professional development coaching
By the end of the Fellowship, each Fellow should be knowledgeable of:
- Foundational concepts of program evaluation and assessment
- Concepts and issues relevant to fostering inclusive student success in law schools
Fellowship Curriculum
Fellowship Curriculum
The 14-month Fellowship curriculum will focus on building practical knowledge and skills related to using social science research methods to design, administer, and assess student success programs. The curriculum will culminate in each Fellowship team drafting a Capstone report detailing findings from the research project it designed and executed.
The curriculum will be centered around nine Fellowship meetings – five two-day, in-person meetings and four 90-minute virtual meetings. The meetings will take place roughly every seven to eight weeks. The first meeting will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on September 9-11, 2026. The last meeting will take place in November 2027 at LexCon '27 (host city TBD).
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Below is a preliminary Fellowship meeting schedule. Each of the three Fellowship teams will be expected to host a two-day in-person session at their home institution during Meetings Four, Six, or Eight. The exact dates will be determined at Meeting One.
Draft Meeting Schedule
- Meeting One (In-person – Atlanta):
- September 9-11, 2026
- Meeting Two (Virtual):
- November 17, 2026
- Meeting Three (Virtual):
- December 15, 2026
- Meeting Four (In-person – Fellow team host):
- February 17-19, 2027
- Meeting Five (Virtual):
- April 13, 2027
- Meeting Six (In-person – Fellow team host):
- May 12-14, 2027
- Meeting Seven (Virtual):
- July 13, 2027
- Meeting Eight (In-person – Fellow team host):
- September 22-24, 2027
- Meeting Nine (In-person – LexCon):
- November 2027
Ongoing Capstone support and coaching.
Fellowship Eligibility
Fellowship Eligibility
The Fellowship cohort will be comprised of up to three teams of two Fellows each, made up of experienced law school administrators, faculty members, or other similarly situated professionals.
Criteria for Fellowship team composition:
Required:
- Two people
- At least one member who helps set relevant policies within their institution
- At least one member with access to a pool of study subjects and relevant data
- At least one member with extensive insight and expertise in an area that is relevant to the topical strand on which the proposed Capstone focuses
- Ability to host one two-day, in-person Fellowship meeting at home institution
Encouraged:
- PLEDGE Bootcamp participation by both team members
- At least one member who is employed by an ABA-approved law school that is committed to fostering inclusive student success
- At least one member with knowledge of social science research methods and/or program evaluation
- Team members representing different departments within law school and/or central university
Fellowship Application Process
Fellowship Application Process
All required application materials must be submitted by July 12, 2026. The selection process will seek to identify 1) Fellowship teams with demonstrated commitments to inclusive student success and 2) Capstone proposals that are relevant, substantive, and feasible. Capstones should be able to be completed in no more than 12 months.
The ideal Capstone project will be tightly focused, centering on a single program or a single intervention, preferably that is already being undertaken by members of the Fellowship team. For instance, a team of admission and academic support professionals may want to study the effects of their law school prep program on student grades. A team of academic and bar success faculty may want to study the effects of a bar prep program on graduate bar exam performance. Proposals based on new projects will be considered and may be selected if their feasibility is clear. In general, proposals that are narrow, targeted, and feasible in the timeframe of the Fellowship are viewed most favorably.
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Application components:
- Application form (more information and link below)
- Statement of Interest and Contributions to Inclusive Student Success
The strongest statements will be no more than four pages long and will provide details pertaining to the following areas:- Explanation of team interest in Fellowship and extent to which the team collectively and individually meets Fellowship eligibility criteria, including any experience conducting program assessments.
- A track record of engagement and activity by team members related to inclusive student success. Specific details about these activities should be provided.
- Capstone proposal
The proposal should respond to the following prompts. Responses should be as specific and concise as possible:- Describe the program that will be the focus of your Capstone research.
- Explain the program’s purpose; key components; duration; and the student populations it serves.
- Indicate whether the program already exists or will be newly developed as part of your PLEDGE experience.
- State your primary research question (and up to two sub-questions).
- Clearly state the main questions your Capstone research will seek to answer.
- Strong research questions explore understanding, experiences, processes, or program improvement, rather than simple yes/no answers.
- State any hypotheses or assumptions related to your research questions.
- Clearly identify the expectations or assumptions that inform your research questions.
- Describe your research methods.
- Identify the specific methods you expect to use (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or document analysis).
- Explain why each method is appropriate for answering your research question.
- Identify your data sources.
- List and describe each data source you expect to use (e.g., program records, participant responses, institutional data, or program materials).
- Indicate the availability of the data, your level of access, and any permissions required.
- Describe the program that will be the focus of your Capstone research.
- Letter of recommendation and support for each team member from a Dean or other relevant administrator. Each letter should communicate approval and support of team members’ participation in the PLEDGE Fellowship. Team members who report to a common administrator may submit a joint letter.
- Team member CVs/resumes highlighting relevant experiences and qualifications (no more than three pages each).
Please refer to the template PLEDGE Fellowship Participation Agreement for additional details and terms associated with participation in this program.
Please note that by uploading your application, you agree to be bound by the terms of the AccessLex Privacy Policy.
Fellowship Application Form
Fellowship Application Form
Thank you for your interest in the Professionals in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) Fellowship. The selection process will seek to identify 1) Fellowship teams with demonstrated commitments to inclusive student success and 2) Capstone proposals that are relevant, substantive, and feasible. Capstones should be able to be completed in no more than 12 months. All required application materials must be submitted by July 12, 2026. Questions about the Fellowship or this application should be directed to [email protected].
PLEDGE Bootcamp
PLEDGE Bootcamp
The PLEDGE Bootcamp is a two-day, in-person training session focused on building knowledge and skills related to conducting and interpreting high-quality empirical research. The Bootcamp targets experienced law school administrators, faculty members, and other similarly situated professionals seeking insight into the practical uses of empirical research methods. The Bootcamp is intended to serve as a precursor to applying for the PLEDGE Fellowship. The 2026 Bootcamp took place April 29-May 1 at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.
Below are covered topics:
- Importance of conducting empirical research and program assessment
- Developing viable and meaningful research questions
- Overview of varied research methodologies
- Conducting comprehensive literature reviews
- Creating a PLEDGE Capstone research proposal
- Overview of research ethics and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process
Bootcamp Eligibility and Application
Bootcamp Eligibility and Application
Participants must be employed by a higher education institution or nonprofit and have an interest in assessing the effects of a law student-facing program. The program should be premised on fostering inclusive student success.
The Bootcamp is limited to 20 participants. Preference will be given to applicants who:
- Describe in sufficient detail a law student success program that they want to assess.
- Submit a joint Bootcamp application as part of a two-person team interested in assessing the same program.
AccessLex will cover a two nights' hotel stay for participants. Participants will be responsible for all other travel expenses.
The application form will require you to upload the following documents:
- A statement describing the law student success program that knowledge and skills gained from the Bootcamp would assist you in assessing (no more than three pages)
- Applicant CVs/resumes highlighting relevant experiences and qualifications (no more than three pages each)
Bootcamp applications will be reviewed as they are received. Therefore, earlier applicants are more likely to be selected. We expect that all Bootcamp slots will be filled by April 8, 2026.
Questions about the Fellowship or this application should be directed to [email protected]
Please note that by uploading your application, you agree to be bound by the terms of the AccessLex Privacy Policy.
About the PLEDGE Initiative
About the PLEDGE Initiative
The Professionals in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) Initiative is a partnership between AccessLex Institute® and the Southern Education Foundation, two organizations committed to fostering equity in education.
The initiative seeks to achieve the following goals:
- Cultivate evidence-based experimentation and assessment in legal education
- Contribute to the development of best practices for fostering access and success among aspiring lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds
- Expose Fellows to principles and concepts underlying program evaluation and evidence-based decision making
- Build partnerships with and among legal education stakeholders, particularly law schools that enroll disproportionate numbers of underrepresented students and those that seek to increase the enrollment of these students
The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) was originally founded in 1867 to educate Black children and children from low-income families in the South. SEF also has a long history of developing leaders in education and was a pivotal source of research and data to support legislation and litigation aimed at fighting inequity in education during the civil rights era. The organization today conducts leadership development, research, and advocacy to improve educational opportunities for Black students, other students of color, and students from low-income families and achieve educational equity in the Southern U.S. SEF is based in Atlanta, Georgia.