ability, time management skills…use those types of things as a selling point in applications. T ey can demonstrate how those qualities can translate successfully into law.” In 2013, the organization also hosted pipeline programs
at the University of Santa Clara and American University in Washington D.C. T e pipeline programs diff er to best serve the communities in which they are held. T e University of Puerto Rico hosted a SALT co-sponsored BA to JD pipeline program, conducted in Spanish, in December 2013. Along with helping both advisers and students navigate the path to law school, the University of Puerto Rico program will address the merits and drawbacks of long-term, pre-law programs at undergraduate higher education institutions. “I think the BA to JD pipeline program is getting a lot
of traction. T ere is a declining application pool for JD programs and students are cautious because law school is so expensive,” says Duhart. “I would love to see the pipeline programs continue to grow. T ey energize me. A lot of what we do as professors is lost in theory. But this is real practical help. T e pre-law advisers really like what we’re doing.”
Gardina, professor of law at Vermont Law School. Although Gardina feels the Santa Clara program was successful due to the “conversations” that took place, SALT has not deter- mined how to measure the eff ectiveness of its programs. “Every pipeline program struggles with the metric. You
don’t know if you’re successful with the goal, which is diversifying the profession. Our BA to JD pipeline program is relatively new,” says Gardina. “I couldn’t really tell you if it’s been successful. Many of the students that attend it are still very early in their academic process.” T e one-day program in Houston also gave pre-law
advisers and others in the law academic apparatus exposure to undergraduate pre-law programs in the region. T e pre-law programs, which can last from weeks to
months, are critical assets to students who want to attend law school, says Olivas, who previously held a pre-law program at UH. Such programs expose students to law school curriculum, in some cases providing academic credit, allow them to interact with lawyers and walk them through the nuts and bolts of the application process, such as standardized test taking. T at experience can prove immensely valuable in the long run for students, added Olivas. So the SALT BA to JD pipeline programs teach academic law professors and administra- tors the direct, hands-on skills needed to improve an underrepresented student’s candidacy, along with off ering longer term vision for institutionally embedding law school preparation. “T ere are some schools that can
Olympia Duhart, Michael Olivas, and Jackie Gardina are law professors who organize SALT. At the University of Santa Clara program held in May
2013, attorneys from Microsoft discussed the immeasur- able value of a heterogeneous attorney counsel. Diverse attorneys bring multicultural competency that enables them to understand and respond to the needs of diverse domestic and international clients, says outgoing co-president Jackie
MCCA.COM
incorporate pre-law programs into their curriculum. SALT is part of the multiply- ing eff ect that is creating more of those pre-law programs,” says Olivas. “Before university offi cials put on these pre-law
programs, they need to know what the successful ingredients for programs are. T at’s what these conferences teach.” D&B
Brian Dabbs is a freelance writer and editor based in Washington, D.C.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 DIVERSITY & THE BAR® 45
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