A lack of resources to attend costly LSAT preparation classes and to fund expensive admissions applications is a significant factor in hindering the application to law school by diverse students. The Sidley Prelaw Scholars Initiative is designed to help address this threshold issue by meeting the specific needs of racially-diverse students seeking to attend law school. Sidley Prelaw Scholars, chosen from college juniors and seniors who demonstrate academic promise and financial need, will receive a $2,500 stipend to cover both tuition in a commercial LSAT preparation course, as well as application fees for as many as seven accredited law schools. Over twenty colleges and universities are slated to participate in the program nationwide.
“Sidley has a significant commitment to achieving greater ethnic and racial diversity within the legal profession and the firm. We wanted to develop a program that would widen the pipeline by helping to eliminate barriers at an earlier stage in a student’s career,” said Thomas A. Cole, chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee. “Our diversity committee and staff are to be congratulated for developing this creative approach.”
Other critical components of the program include:
- coaching on how to complete a successful law school application;
- an additional $2,500 in scholarship assistance for the senior year of college; and
- pre-law school seminar instruction on the structure of the American legal system, as well as an introduction to the substance of the required common law first-year courses.
“From my personal experience as a graduate of a historically black university, I know that there is a need for more financial assistance for students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) who are hopeful of obtaining professional degrees. We believe that the Sidley Prelaw Scholars Initiative will create opportunities for graduates at HBCUs and for financially needy students from other institutions,” said Stanley Stallworth. Stallworth is the firmwide co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee, which is responsible for implementing the firm’s policies and initiatives relating to diversity and inclusion.
Drawing upon her background as an admissions professional at the University of Chicago Law School, firmwide Director of Diversity Kathryn R. Stell oversees the Sidley Prelaw Scholars Initiative. “Working with minority undergraduates made me acutely aware of the financial barriers preventing minority students from becoming viable law school candidates. The Sidley Scholars Initiative helps meet those needs of minority pre-law candidates.”
For more information, please contact
sidleyscholars@sidley.com.
