LSAC launches hybrid program for DC-area law school applicants
The Law School Admission Council is piloting a hybrid version of its Plus Summer program to offer support to more potential law school applicants from underrepresented communities around Washington, D.C. Image from Shutterstock.
As diversity remains a hot topic after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College decision, the Law School Admission Council is piloting a hybrid version of its Plus Summer program to offer support to more potential law school applicants from underrepresented communities around Washington, D.C.
Plus, Guided Journey is a 14-month, no-cost program designed to offer just-in-time tailored support for about 140 law school applicants during the fall cycle, says Angela Winfield, the LSAC’s vice president and chief diversity officer. The pilot involves the seven ABA-accredited law schools in or near the nation’s capital for students matriculating in fall 2025, she adds.
While it is open to all students, the Plus, Guided Journey program aims to “narrow the scoring gap experienced by those who do not have the economic resources or connections to receive support during the application process,” she says.
“We recognized that there are educational inequities,” Winfield adds. “We didn’t create the problem, but we are committed to creating the solution.”
The regional model includes three in-person gatherings and a minimum of one meeting monthly starting in May 2024 and running through July 2025, ending just before the typical test cycle.
“The idea is to learn, adapt and replicate around the country,” Winfield says.
The new program paces out information, offering tailored LSAT preparation and financial aid tips shortly before those deadlines, she adds.
Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law spearheaded the collaboration among the D.C.-area law schools, says Shani J.P. Butts, the assistant dean for admissions and financial aid and a diversity officer at the school.
For the pilot, Catholic University will provide space for the first in-person gathering in May and instructors for some of the classes throughout the year, while other schools will be contributing different pieces of the curriculum, Butts adds.
“Each school only has one or two things in a 14-month period to focus on instead of having to implement the entire program,” Butts says. “Certainly, it is an easier lift than running a summer program.”
The Columbus School of Law did not host the traditional program.
The 22-year-old immersive Plus Summer program will continue two of the on-site programs, one at the Boston University School of Law and the other at the Seattle University School of Law, each hosting about 30 students, Winfield says.
Previously, eight schools hosted the on-site four- to six-week program, serving a total of 175 to 200 sophomores, juniors and seniors annually, she adds.
The application for the Plus, Guided Journey program is now open.
