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
American Bar Foundation
Dr. Robert Nelson has been awarded a grant to analyze longitudinal data collected from the After the JD Study of Lawyer Careers to determine the role of legal education in careers. This grant will support the work of young scholars who are providing research support throughout the project.
Dillard University
This grant supports the Foundation to Legal Education Advancing Diversity (LEAD) program. The program will provide rising college juniors with analytical and logical reasoning skills to ensure their success on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and in law school.
Dillard University
This grant supports the Legal Education Advancing Diversity (LEAD) program which offers students and graduates from underrepresented background the opportunity to participate in year-long program. The program provides these students with LSAT preparation, strategies for creating a competitive law school application, support throughout the application process, and a mentorship program.
The Association of American Law Schools (AALS)
The Before the JD project will study (1) the opinions held by students at, and recent graduates from, four-year colleges and universities in the United States about legal education and the legal profession; (2) their sources of information about legal education; and (3) the factors that influence their postgraduate choices.
University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law
The University of Hawai’i William S. Richardson School of Law received a grant to support the Ulu Lehua Scholars Program. The Ulu Lehua Scholars Program supports a cohort of incoming J.D. students from diverse backgrounds who have overcome adversity and who show a commitment to work with underserved communities. Student participants receive financial, academic, and moral support throughout their law school careers. Grant funding will be used to expand recruitment efforts to rural communities in Hawaii and the Pacific, bolster academic support for participants through student tutors, provide financial and academic assistance in preparation for the bar exam, and conduct a comprehensive program assessment.
American Bar Foundation
The American Bar Foundation received a grant for the Emerging and Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program in Legal and Higher Education project. Doctoral fellows and visiting scholars will have access to an interdisciplinary scholarly community and benefit from mentoring provided by the ABF’s research faculty. This professional network of scholars will produce innovative, objective, empirical, and interdisciplinary research in legal and higher education.
American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education
A $125,000 grant was awarded to the American Bar Association (ABA) Fund for Justice and Education for the Evaluation of Key ABA Pipeline Programs project. The project intends to measure the effectiveness of three ABA Fund for Justice and Education pipeline programs: the Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund; the Judicial Clerkship Program; and, the Judicial Internship Opportunity Program.
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...