With a $180,000 grant from the AccessLex Institute Legal Education Diversity Pipeline Program, the historically Black college and university (HBCU) has expanded its legal education opportunities to students at two neighboring HBCUs by launching and implementing the Legal Education Advancing Diversity (LEAD) Program and the Foundation to LEAD Program over the last two years.
In addition, Dillard’s Pre-Law program has continued to provide students mentorship, exposure to the legal profession, law school admissions workshops and lectures and, significantly, enhanced students’ preparation and familiarity with the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) — a major barrier to law school entry for many African-American students, said Adria Kimbrough, Pre-Law Advisor for the Center for Law and Public Interest at Dillard.
Adria Kimbrough
“The LSAT score for African-American students has remained exactly the same for more than 20 years. It has not moved one point,” Kimbrough said. “That median score is a 142.”
This finding sounds an alarm for Dillard officials, who note that unsuccessful entry into law school by students of color has implications, especially when you think of the role lawyers play in society, Kimbrough added.
“It’s beneficial to all of us for the legal profession to reflect the diversity of our nation,” she said. “For all of us who are involved in legal education, if we are serious about moving the needle, we have got to tackle the Law School Admissions Test. Of everything that we do here [at Dillard], it’s the most important thing that we do.”
