law school preparation institute

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

LAW SCHOOL PREPARATION INSTITUTELAW SCHOOL PREPARATION INSTITUTE

www.law.utep.edu

LAW SCHOOL PREPARATION INSTITUTE




-87.50%

-2.76%

8.53%

-40.50%

4.69%

77.73%

Proportional Disparity of Law School Matriculation by Ethnicity (2009)

Mexican American

Hispanic Non Mex Am

Caucasian

African American

Native American

Asian/Pacific Islander

2

Proportional Disparities: African Americans and Mexican Americans

Severely Underrepresented in Law School

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Law School Admission Council



Comparison of U.S. Population and

Law School Matriculants

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO3

10.32%5.43%

64.93%

12.10%

0.64%

4.58%

2.00%

U.S. Population by Ethnicity (2009)

Mexican American Hispanic Non Mex Am Caucasian

African American Native American Asian/Pacific Islander

Other

1.29%

5.28%

70.47%

7.20%

0.67%

8.14%

6.95%

Law School Matriculants (2009)

Mexican American Hispanic Non Mex Am Caucasian

African American Native American Asian/Pacific Islander

Other




Comparison of U.S. Population and

First Time LSAT Takers (2008-09)

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO4


10.32%

64.93%

12.10%

12.65%

U.S. Population by Ethnicity (2009)

Mexican American Caucasian

African American Other

1.39%

67.07%

9.58%

21.95%

First Time LSAT Takers (2008-09)

Mexican American Caucasian

African American Other



5

37.14 Million African American U.S. Pop. (2009)

3,520 Matriculants

4,180 Accepted (42.3%)

9,880 Applicants

13,205 LSATs

(est 9,092 indvls)


Avg. LSAT 142.25(2003-04 to 2008-09)



6

199.33 Million Caucasian U.S. Pop. (2009)

34,460 Matriculants

40,890 Accepted (74.2%)

55,110 Applicants

73,248 LSATs

(est 63,649 indvls)


Avg. LSAT 152.67(2003-04 to 2008-09)



7

31.69 Million Mexican American U.S. Pop. (2009)

630 Matriculants

740 Accepted (62.2%)

1,190 Applicants

1,853 LSATs

(est. 1323 indvls)


Avg. LSAT 147.63(2003-04 to 2008-09)



Global Issues

• As of last year, the US Dept of Ed and LSAC stopped disaggregating data for Mexican Americans, including them in the overall “Hispanic” group, further masking the problem

• LSAT as a factor in admissions

– Because the USNWR weighs the LSAT so heavily in the rankings and doesn’t take diversity into consideration, certain diversity groups are at a disadvantage

– As of last year, the USNWR began to include LSATS for part time and evening programs in the rankings computation, further disadvantaging diverse students

8



Solutions??

• Aside from remedying the overall problem of poorer K-12 education for diverse groups, and giving less weight to the LSAT and/or demanding the inclusion of diversity in the rankings, what can be done?

• How can we get more underrepresented students to take the LSAT, score well, then get into law school, graduate, and pass the bar?

• On a positive note, LSPI is making strides in El Paso, a county that is over 80% Hispanic

9



UTEP’s Law School Preparation Institute

• High School Programming Efforts

– Aimed at reaching out, exposing students to law as a career option, role modeling, skill building, helping students prepare now to posture themselves to become successful law school applicants, hosting competitions to build self confidence in law-related work, helping foster a belief in themselves that they can do it

• Camp/pre law education—develop substantive and practical skills

• Competitions with judges and attorneys from El Paso

• Collaboration with State Bar and Texas Young Lawyers

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LSPI College Level Programming• 8-week summer Institute: Intensive courses to build logic,

legal reasoning, analytical, writing, and critical thinking skills as well as prepare for the LSAT (& extended tutoring)

• Help in marketing students for successful law school application and support in the application process

• Children’s Rights Law course where students serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates

• Juvenile Justice Center clinical opportunity for students

• Internships with judges, government offices and other organizations

• 1-week boot camp immediately before starting law school

• Networking and connecting with mentors

• Post college: clerkship opportunities for law students

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Measures of Success

• Of over 300 LSPI graduates who have gone on to law school, almost 2/3 matriculated at top tier schools and about 1/3 at top 15 schools

• Approx. 93% of LSPI graduates who applied to law school gained admission, compared to 62.2% of Mex Ams, 74.2% of Caucasians and 42.3% of Af Ams in 2009

• In 2010, Mexican American LSPI students scored an average of 5 points higher than the average score of all Mexican Americans over 2003-04 through 2008-09

• We are seeing follow through on pipeline from our high school programming to law school

12



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Threats/Weaknesses

• Funding – LSPI is funded through a special item in state budget

for UTEP & an LSAC grant for high school programming

• Trouble effectively reaching two important populations that

have people interested in law school – community and graduate

students

• Continuation of high school program; further outreach to

younger students in the community

• Raising awareness of the program – disparities in admission

between LSPI and non-LSPI students

• Perception of the legal market


LAW SCHOOL PREPARATION INSTITUTELAW SCHOOL PREPARATION INSTITUTE

www.law.utep.edu



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