WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2017 — The American Bar Association’s Principal Diversity and Inclusion Entities have partnered with the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis to co-launch the Pathway to the Law online program, a three-year pilot project to create a pipeline for underrepresented students into legal education and ultimately the profession.
October 25, 2017
ABA, IU McKinney School of Law to co-launch Pathway to Law online program
The program, funded with a $250,000 grant from the ABA, begins next spring and will be based at the McKinney School of Law with an initial class of 50 students. The program’s intent is to help undergraduate students develop their skills in critical thinking, reading comprehension as well as study and test preparation strategies. It also aims to broaden their understanding of the legal profession and give them access to mentors and networking opportunities as early as possible.
“I am very proud that the IU McKinney School of Law is at the forefront of national efforts to achieve greater inclusion and diversity in the legal profession,” said Andrew R. Klein, dean of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. “We are excited to work with the ABA, utilizing both online resources and a personal approach to introduce a new generation of talented students to the field of law.”
The curriculum will include four online courses, including: Introduction to the Legal Profession, Legal Writing Skills, Critical Thinking and Comprehension Skills and Advanced Critical Thinking and Comprehension Skills. Courses will be designed in conjunction with E-Learning Design Services, the primary online design arm of the Indiana University Office of Online Education.
Courses will be designed and taught by law school staff and one or more partner undergraduate institutions. Students will also be mentored by attorneys, current law students and law faculty members.
The goal of the program is to develop a metrics-driven pipeline program model that colleges and laws schools nationwide can implement to increase the number of diverse and underrepresented undergraduate students entering law school and the legal profession.
Students can apply to the program at https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/admissions/jd/diversity/pathway-to-the-law.html.
The ABA Diversity and Inclusion Entities consist of Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession; Commission on Women in the Profession; Commission on Disability Rights; Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline; Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice; and Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.
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