UW embraces hosting Native American Pathway to Law Initiative workshop in June.
When Lorenzo Gudino was considering law school, a sense of Native community was critical. Enter the Native American Pathway to Law Initiative, which includes an annual workshop that will be hosted by University of Wisconsin Law School in June.
Gudino, a Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache member who earned his law degree from UW Law in 2021, participated in the initiative in 2016.
“The program introduced me to the Native community in both the law school world and the Indian law field,” said Gudino, an attorney with the Hogen Adams firm in Saint Paul, Minnesota. “That community encouraged and supported me throughout my time at UW Law. Some of the people I met at the program remain a part of my circle, and some of the organizers are still my mentors.”
While participants learn what law schools look for in applicants, they have access to networking opportunities, resources, mentorship, cultural representation and skill-building workshops to feel more prepared and confident.
The initiative is sponsored by UW; Arizona State University; University of California, Berkeley; Michigan State University and the American Indian Law Center. There is no cost to participants.
“We’re delighted that Arizona State University and Berkeley have selected us to host the program this year,” said Rebecca Scheller ’07, chief administrative officer and associate dean for admissions and financial aid at UW Law. “While the program isn’t intended to recruit students, we’re hopeful that this new cohort will at least be able to envision themselves as law students, and perhaps some of them will be able to envision themselves as students at Wisconsin.”
As host of the 11th annual workshop, the Law School will develop the curriculum, bring in guest speakers (including Indigenous Law Students Association alumni), provide housing at Dejope Residence Hall and showcase the broader UW campus and city of Madison over the course of five days.
According to Scheller, the initiative aligns with UW Law’s longstanding history of supporting Native students and communities. It also builds upon the work done by Emeritus Professor Richard Monette, Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center (GLILC) Director Amanda White Eagle, Assistant Professor Torey Dolan, GLILC Outreach Program Manager Dan Cornelius and others.
Gudino’s participation in the initiative at Arizona State University coincided with his introduction to the American Indian Law Center’s Pre-Law Summer Institute by Heidi Stark, now an associate professor at the University of Victoria.
“We’re delighted that Arizona State University and Berkeley have selected us to host the program this year. While the program isn‘t intended to recruit students, perhaps some of them will be able to envision themselves as students at Wisconsin.” — Rebecca Scheller ’07
“In my hour-long conversation with Dr. Stark, she opened the door to my path in Indian law,” said Gudino, who was an undergraduate at Northwestern University at the time.
“I remember the excitement to gather with other similarly situated Native students who were considering law school.”
Since the initiative began in 2015, 332 Native American law students from across the country have participated.
“They are much more prepared and confident for the admissions cycle,” said Kate Rosier, executive director of the Indian Legal Program at Arizona State University. “One student took an LSAT prep course after the program and jumped her LSAT 20 points. Before the program, she did not know how important the LSAT was in the application process.”
Gudino said he “wholeheartedly recommends” the initiative to any Native students considering law school.
“The program worked through the entire law school application process and gave me the tools to succeed,” he said.
By Brian Walker