pipeline to initiative: law...sandra day o’connor college of law arizona state university...

Pipeline to Initiative: Removing the Barriers to Legal Education forNative Americans through Early Outreach,Pre-law Advising & Mentorship Opportunities

Law

This Initiative is sponsored by the Indian Legal Program at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and the Indigenous Law Program at Michigan State University College of Law with the support of National Native American Bar Association, Native American Bar Association of Arizona, The Princeton Review Foundation, Office of Admissions at University of California, Berkeley School of Law, American Indian Law Center, Inc., and ASU Native American Law Students Association.

The 2015 National Native American Bar Association study of Native Americans in the legal field (The Pursuit of Inclusion: An In-Depth Exploration of the Experiences and Perspective of Native American Attorneys in the Legal Profession), concluded that the Native American law student population is lower than the rate of Native Americans in the overall U.S. population. The study found that pipeline projects reaching students in earlier stages of education are essential to continuing the gains in Native American law student numbers and success. In response to the issues identified in the 2015 National Native American Bar Association survey, the Indian Legal Program and the Indigenous Law Program are joining together to strengthen the Native American pipeline to law.

This important initiative is generously funded by grants from Access Group, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Indian Legal ProgramSandra Day O’Connor College of Law Arizona State UniversityILP@asu.edu480.965.6204

Indigenous Law & Policy CenterMichigan State University College of LawDiversity Services Officediversity@law.msu.edu517.432.6939

For more information,please contact:

Early Outreach: visit elementary, middle and high school classrooms to share information about the law and legal careers using age appropriate materials and culturally relevant information.

The Pipeline to Law Initiative includes:

Mentorship Opportunities: facilitate multilevel mentorship between high school students, college students, law students and attorneys.

Pre-Law Advising: offer LSAT prep programs and prelaw advising sessions to Native American students. Intensive prelaw sessions at various locations will include guidance on the law school application process, financial aid and the LSAT.

law.asu.edu/pipelinetolaw#PipelineToLaw

Photos by Danielle Williams