Awarded Grants

Grant Title: One Credit Bar Classes 

At Roger Williams University School of Law, students who earn a first-year GPA below 3.0 are required to complete three one-credit bar preparation courses during their final semester. Current offerings include courses in MPT, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Property. With the exception of the MPT course, these classes focus primarily on doctrinal content and multiple-choice practice and do not include a bar-style writing component. This grant will enable the Roger Williams University School of Law to hire and train faculty to redesign two to three of these courses to incorporate bar-specific writing instruction, including two to three graded bar essays and one graded MPT. As part of the grant, the Grantee will collaborate with AccessLex staff to evaluate the project’s effectiveness. The primary goal of the evaluation is to assess whether participation in the redesigned one-credit bar courses improves bar passage outcomes for graduates who sit for the bar exam.

Grant Title: From Law School to Licensure: Accommodations Challenges for Arizona Law Students

The From Law School to Licensure: Accommodations Challenges for Arizona Law Students project explores the barriers faced by Arizona law students with disabilities in obtaining accommodations for the MPRE and bar exam. Through longitudinal surveys of students at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, the study examines diagnoses, documentation, and outcomes, providing critical evidence on the transition from law school to licensure exam accommodations. Limited funding will also support educational-psychological evaluations for high-acuity students.

Grant Title: Law Academic Wellness – Supportive Training and Engaged Peer Support (LAW-STEPS) Project 

Law students face elevated rates of distress, anxiety, depression, and substance misuse, reducing academic success, retention, and bar passage. LAW-STEPS (Law Student Training and Empowerment through Peer Support) will deliver peer support modules across five law schools, focusing on coping, stress management, and community building. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design, the project will test whether boosting resources lowers distress and improves resilience, well-being, and academic outcomes.

Grant Title: Passing Under Pressure: An ACT Approach to Bar Exam Success in Third-Year Law Students

The Passing Under Pressure project seeks to design, implement, and evaluate a mental performance enhancement program for 3L students preparing for the bar exam. Grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the intervention aims to strengthen psychological flexibility — a key factor in managing stress and achieving optimal performance under pressure. Through skill-building and experiential exercises, the virtual program will support students in navigating high-stakes exam demands while promoting their overall mental health and wellbeing.

Grant Title: JDReady, Empowering Future Lawyers from the Greater Philadelphia Area Project

Hosted at Saint Joseph’s University (SJU), the JDReady: Empowering Future Lawyers from the Greater Philadelphia Area project (“JDReady”) is a collaboration with SJU’s Law Exploration Advancing Diversity (LEAD) initiative and Barrier Breakers^®, Inc.’s Law School Scholars Program. From 2026 to 2028, the program will support 110 participants—60 SJU students and 50 nontraditional students (working adults over 30 from Greater Philadelphia)—by providing free, personalized law school admissions guidance and LSAT preparation.

Eligibility is open to two groups. SJU students must complete at least one of the following criteria: an LSAT score below 150, eligibility for a fee waiver, or self-identification as a first-generation college or law school student. Working adults aged 30 and over must also complete at least one of the following criteria, which includes being the first in their family to attend college or law school, having an LSAT score below 150, or being eligible for a fee waiver.

Grant Title: Program for Legal Access and Career Excellence (PLACE) project

Through the Program for Legal Access and Career Excellence (PLACE), Wake Forest Law works with partner institutions to open pathways to law school for students, including students from populations historically underrepresented in the legal profession. 

The program unfolds in three phases: 

• Awareness: Students are introduced to legal education and careers through exposure to law school curriculum, professional opportunities, and networking.
• Access: Students receive targeted support for the application process, including LSAT preparation, financial planning, and guidance. Wake Forest Law offers scholarships for up to two students per partner school.
• Achievement: Participants gain resources and mentorship to ensure a smooth transition into law school and success during their first year

Central Washington Hybrid Hub Pipeline Initiative Project

The Seattle University School of Law’s Central Washington Hybrid Hub Pipeline Initiative supports undergraduate students and college students from Central Washington in pursuing legal careers, aiming to increase geographic and rural diversity in Washington’s legal profession. The program was designed to strengthen the legal field within Central Washington — a growing but largely rural area with limited access to higher education and a shortage of attorneys. It offers mentorship and guidance to help students gain admission to law school, with the goal of encouraging them to return or remain in the region to serve community needs.

The Sponsorship, Research and Challenge Directed Grant

The Sponsorship, Research and Challenge Directed Grant is a multi-faceted  project that includes a $50,000 Presenting Sponsorship for The Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting; up to $150,000 for research, including the design and commissioning of Before the JD II, an updated version of the 2018 Before the JD study to reflect significant legal and market changes; and, a $50,000 Challenge Grant.

Southwestern Law School Admission Innovation Project

Southwestern Law School launched an innovation admissions pathway in 2019, allowing waitlisted students to gain entry through structured in person and Zoom interviews designed to identify potential beyond LSAT scores, but also other traditional factors such as the Undergraduate Grade Point Average. This approach, informed by the IAALS Foundation for Practice Study, has led to the admission of 285 students from 776 waitlist interviews for the entering classes of 2019 to 2024. In 2024, Southwestern sought support from the Admission Innovation Project to assess the academic and bar performance of these interview-admitted students through a comprehensive analysis by AccessLex. The study will compare outcomes between traditional and interview-based admissions, aiming to uncover predictive factors and inform future admissions strategies.