The University of Wisconsin Law School received a $70,000 grant from the Access Group Center for Research & Policy Analysis in support of a new pre-law scholars initiative beginning in 2016.
The Law School also received a second grant of up to $100,000 a year from DiscoverLaw.org to continue the program for an additional three years.
This June, participants in the James E. Jones Jr. Pre-Law Scholars Program spent four weeks in a summer immersion program hosted by UW Law School. The program is designed to improve access to legal education for undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. With an emphasis on UW Law School’s distinctive Law in Action approach, participants learned how the law operates in the real world and shapes daily life.
Students also explored the wide range of work that lawyers do and gained insights on how to best prepare to enroll and succeed in law school.
UW Law School’s program was named for the late Professor James E. Jones, the school’s first African American faculty member. A pioneer in equal employment and affirmative action policy, Professor Jones taught labor law and arbitration for nearly 30 years at the Law School.