Since launching our grantmaking activities in 2014, we have awarded over $21 million in support of our research priorities: access, affordability, and the value of legal education.
Awarded Grants
Grant Program
Grant Status
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law
Since 2002, The IIT Chicago-Kent Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) program offers a three-week program for college students who are underrepresented in the legal profession. The three-week summer institute intends to: introduce participants to law school and the legal profession; provide participants with substantive skills to strengthen their preparation for law school; and educate and prepare participants for the law school application and admissions process. Grant funding will support efforts to improve and enhance program curriculum, engage first and second year college students and strengthen the program evaluation and assessment process.
To read more, please visit https://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/pre-law-undergraduate-scholars-program
St. John's University School of Law
The Ron Brown Prep Program supports students from traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups—who are often the first in their families to attend college—as they apply to law school and pursue legal careers. Grant funding will support program efforts to increase the number of student participants, make the current program more affordable for students, strengthen ties with program alumni, and improve program measurement and evaluation methods.
To read more, please visit http://www.stjohns.edu/law/ronald-h-brown-center-civil-rights/ronald-h-brown-law...
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, in partnership with the Law and Leadership Institute, currently administers academic enrichment programs offered at eight law schools in Ohio’s six largest cities for high schoolers primarily from urban public school districts. Grant funding will support program efforts to extend the existing early stage pipeline program through college and into law school. The program seeks to improve student participant college GPAs, improve college persistence, and ultimately help students from diverse backgrounds gain admission to law school.
To read more, please visit http://www.lawandleadership.org/
University of Baltimore School of Law
The University of Baltimore School of Law, Charles Hamilton Houston Scholars Program helps underrepresented college freshmen and sophomores develop the academic skills needed to improve undergraduate performance and enhance opportunity for admission to, and success in, law school. Grant funding will support efforts to enhance a three week academic readiness course, establish long term mentoring and networking relationships for students, provide continued support to students throughout college, and provide guidance and direction to complete the application process and enroll in law school.
To read more, please visit http://law.ubalt.edu/admissions/diversity/chhsp/
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center Pre-Law Pipeline program is designed to increase the diversity of law school applicants by providing law school preparatory resources–LSAT preparation, introductory law school classes, internships, and professional development sessions–for undergraduate students who are first generation, low income, or members of groups underrepresented in the legal profession. Grant funding will support the administration of the eight-week on-campus summer program and internship. Funding will also support expanded recruitment of students from minority serving institutions.
To read more, please visit http://www.law.uh.edu/pipeline/
Elon University School of Law
This grant studies the impact and benefits of its innovative new curriculum. Major components include shortening the general course of study to two and a half years, reducing cost by nearly 25 percent and enhancing the educational experience by requiring that all students complete substantial experiential learning components.
To read more, please visit Study: Lower debt, stronger diversity & improved outcomes at Elon Law
University of Pennsylvania
The Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education received a grant to analyze the law school admissions market. A set of regression models were estimated for predicting the prices charged by law schools reporting data to the American Bar Association. Similarly, institutional characteristics such as LSAT scores, bar passage rates and employment outcomes were mapped.
American Bar Foundation
The American Bar Foundation received a grant award to follow up on the work of the American Bar Association Task Force on the Financing of Legal Education. The data that was collected as part of the Task Force’s work, in combination with other data and materials, will be fully analyzed in order to address challenges facing legal education.
University of Georgia
A $50,000 research grant was awarded to Associate Professor of Higher Education Karen Webber, with the University of Georgia, to examine the increase in graduate student debt between 2008 and 2012.