AccessLex
Better diversity in schools makes schools better.
LexPostBacc is our innovative diversity pathway program that is directly focused on preparing aspiring law students from underrepresented backgrounds for the academic and financial rigors of law school. The program provides law schools with a means of broadening access to legal education to promising applicants who are likely to benefit from additional preparation and exposure prior to starting law school.
LexPostBacc Scholars are exposed to a rigorous law school prep curriculum. After successfully completing the program curriculum, Scholars are offered admission and a scholarship to the law school that referred them to the program.
The inaugural cohort of LexPostBacc Scholars enrolled in summer 2022 and consists of 79 aspiring law students who were referred by 29 law schools.
Program Design
Program Design
The goal of LexPostBacc is to provide law schools with a means of offering deferred admission to promising applicants who may need additional preparation for and exposure to the academic subjects and rigors of law school.
During the 2022-2023 LexPostBacc admission cycle, participating law schools will be able to offer deferred fall 2024 admission to applicants, conditioned on the applicants’ completion of the LexPostBacc curriculum. The curriculum will span July 2023 through July 2024 and will focus on LSAT preparation, building analytical and critical thinking skills and financial education. There are no program costs, either for law schools or Scholars.
To participate in the LexPostBacc Program, applicants must be referred by a law school and must:
- Be a member of one or more of the following groups:
- A racial or ethnic group that is underrepresented in legal education
- A first-generation bachelor’s degree graduate
- A Pell Grant recipient as an undergraduate
- Possess a bachelor’s degree or will receive a bachelor’s degree by August 2023
- Have an LSAT score no higher than the 25th percentile among the national pool of test takers (as reflected on the CAS report)
- Have not previously enrolled in a J.D. program at an ABA-approved law school
- Commit to enroll at the referring law school, upon successful completion of the program
Scholars who successfully complete the LexPostBacc curriculum will receive:
- Fall 2024 admission by the law school that offered deferred admission
- A non-conditional, renewable scholarship award of at least 20% tuition from the law school that offered deferred admission
- A $3,000 stipend from AccessLex Institute® ($1,000 each year for full-time students and $750 per year for part-time students)
- A Helix Bar Review by AccessLex℠ course, upon graduation
Program Curriculum
Program Curriculum
From July 2023 through July 2024, LexPostBacc Scholars will be exposed to a rigorous law school prep curriculum that will focus on LSAT preparation, building analytical and critical thinking skills and financial education and literacy.
- LSAT Prep
- Scholars will take a full-length Kaplan online LSAT course, beginning in July 2023 (cost included with the program)
- Scholars will be required to retake the LSAT at least one time during the time period, September 2023 through January 2024
- Scholars will be reimbursed by AccessLex for the cost of the LSAT administration if taken in September 2023
- Schools could foster increased Scholar engagement with LSAT prep by offering the potential of an increased scholarship award with an improved score
- Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills
- Scholars will complete a curriculum of online lessons, including Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) learning modules covering:
- Substantive topics: Contracts, Criminal Law, Torts
- Skills: interpreting and briefing cases, understanding common terminology, note-taking, outlining, reading comprehension, rule synthesis, statutory interpretation, time management
- Scholars will complete formative and summative assessments consisting of short answer, essay and multiple-choice problems
- Scholars will complete a curriculum of online lessons, including Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) learning modules covering:
- Financial Education and Literacy
- Scholars will be exposed to a financial education curriculum consisting of:
- MAX Pre-Law by AccessLex℠
- Tailored webinars and information sessions
- Scholars will be exposed to a financial education curriculum consisting of:
The LexPostBacc curriculum will require Scholars to dedicate about 10 hours of effort per week completing lessons, exercises and assessments. Scholars will also be required to attend mandatory virtual class sessions. The curriculum will be formative in nature, with a goal of fostering deep learning and engagement through robust feedback and guidance.
At stipulated points during the program, participating law schools will receive progress reports regarding the Scholars they referred. These reports will include information pertaining to Scholar engagement with the curriculum and progress towards completion. Some attrition and unsuccessful attempts at completing the curriculum are expected.
You can get more information about the curriculum here.
Referral and Selection Processes
Referral and Selection Processes
For the 2022-2023 LexPostBacc admission cycle, deferred admission offers should provide a pathway to admission into the fall 2024 entering law school class. In order to refer applicants to LexPostBacc, law schools must submit their Intent to Refer form to AccessLex Institute® by January 17, 2023.
Below is the referral process:
- Identify an applicant for possible referral to the program
- Verify closely that the applicant meets the program eligibility requirements, this is a very important step
- If the applicant meets the eligibility requirements, make the deferred admission offer communicating:
- The non-conditional, renewable scholarship offer
- The $3,000 stipend offer from AccessLex Institute®
- The condition that the applicant completes the program curriculum
- Instructions provided by AccessLex Institute® for reserving their slot in the program, including the requirement that they complete the LexPostBacc Application by May 14, 2023
- A request for permission to share the applicant’s biographical and contact information with AccessLex Institute®
- After receiving permission to share the applicant’s information, complete the LexPostBacc Applicant Referral Form. All law school referrals must be made by May 1, 2023.
- Applicants must complete the LexPostBacc Application by May 14, 2023. Upon timely submission of the application, AccessLex Institute® staff will verify that the applicant meets LexPostBacc eligibility requirements. After verification, the applicant will be offered a LexPostBacc slot and the referring law school will be notified.
- LexPostBacc Scholars will be required to sign a Participation Agreement within two weeks of being offered a program slot, certifying that they are no longer pursuing admission to other law schools and will not submit any new law school applications in the future.
Stakeholder Benefits
Stakeholder Benefits
Benefits to participating law schools:
- Matriculation commitment from promising applicants who have demonstrated potential for law school success
- Increased entering class diversity
- Applicant exposure to high-quality law school preparatory programming that could increase chances of law school success
- Applicant access to high-quality LSAT prep that could result in a higher score at matriculation
- Applicant access to high-quality Helix Bar Review by AccessLex℠ program that could increase chances of first-time passage
Benefits to LexPostBacc Scholars:
- Admission guarantee to law school, with satisfactory completion of the program curriculum
- Financial aid guarantee, with satisfactory completion of the program curriculum
- Access to high-quality LSAT prep that could result in a higher score and potentially a higher scholarship award
- Access to high-quality law school preparatory programming designed to help foster law school success
- Access to high-quality Helix Bar Review by AccessLex℠ program, upon law school graduation
2023-2024 LexPostBacc Participating Law Schools
| California Western School of Law Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law City University of New York School of Law Creighton School of Law Florida International University College of Law Golden Gate University School of Law Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law Liberty University School of Law Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Michigan State University College of Law Mississippi College School of Law Northern Illinois University College of Law Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law Oklahoma City University Penn State Dickinson Law Quinnipiac University School of Law Roger Williams University School of Law Samford University's Cumberland School of Law |
Southwestern Law School Suffolk University Law School The Catholic University of America The University of Akron School of Law Touro Law Center University of Cincinnati College of Law University of Detroit Mercy School of Law University of Idaho College of Law University of North Texas College of Law University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law University of St. Thomas School of Law – Minneapolis University of the District of Columbia – David A. Clarke School of Law University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Vermont Law and Graduate School Western New England University School of Law Widener University Delaware Law School Willamette University College of Law |
2022-2023 Participating Schools
California Western School of Law
Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law
City University of New York School of Law
Creighton School of Law
Florida International University College of Law
Golden Gate University School of Law
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Liberty University School of Law
Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
Mississippi College School of Law
Northern Illinois University College of Law
Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law
Oklahoma City University
Penn State Dickinson Law
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Roger Williams University School of Law
Samford University's Cumberland School of Law
Southwestern Law School
Suffolk University Law School
The Catholic University of America
The University of Akron School of Law
Touro Law Center
University of Cincinnati College of Law
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
University of Idaho College of Law
University of North Texas College of Law
University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law
University of St. Thomas School of Law – Minneapolis
University of the District of Columbia – David A. Clarke School of Law
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
Vermont Law and Graduate School
Western New England University School of Law
Widener University Delaware Law School
Willamette University College of Law
Law schools will be added periodically.
Questions? Read our FAQs or contact us at LexScholars@accesslex.org.