Feminist Law Prof Vernellia Randall writes:
The JD Project’s mission is to increase the racial diversity of the legal profession with specific attention on helping minority students excel in law school and pass the bar. I am writing both to provide you information about our program and to ask your assistance. We will be conducting a summer law school boot camp for incoming first year minority students. First, we would like to have your school send the attached documents to all their admitted students of color and we would like you advocate with your dean or admission office to have that happen. Second we would like you to become an individual supporter of The JD Project http://71.18.52.3/index.htm. If you are willing, please email me with your name, title and organization name. Please note your organization name will be listed for identification only. Also if you could provide a 100 to 150 word comment to be included on the following page: http://71.18.52.3/AboutUs/supporters.htm that would be appreciated but is not necessary.
Description
The mission of the JD Project is to increase the number of traditionally under-represented racial/ethnic minorities in the legal profession. Our goal is to increase the number of traditionally-underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities who are admitted to law school, outperform their admission statistics and excel in law school, graduate, pass the bar exam, and achieve their professional goals. With appropriately structure academic support and appropriately motivated participants, most minority law students can outperform their LSAT and pass the bar the first time. When the JD Project is fully operational it will consist of the following programs.
- LSAT Preparation Course
- Legal Enrichment and Achievement Project (LEAP)
- Passing the Bar!
- Career Coaching
- Community Lawyering
- minority students who live in or will be going to school in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
- minority students from groups that have the highest attrition rates (i.e. Blacks and Hispanics)
- minority students who will be attending law schools whose academic support program is inadequate. A law school program is defined as inadequate if :
- the school has no academic support program;
- the program is not open to all minority students;
- the program does not include a summer start orientation based on skill-building; or
- the program does not include a fall program that has intense exam-writing with feedback.
The JD Project maintains an online academic support program because it takes more than intelligence to succeed in law school. Many students who fail to perform up to their potential do so because they do not have the timely access to the “information stream” that is so essential to law school performance. This website is designed to open access to the “information stream” and consequently to improve students’ adjustment and performance. This site provides academic enrichment for the law student on law school and learning, on how to study in law school and on how to prepare and take law school exams. This website is available to everyone without regard to race. There will be a membership-only component that will be offered free to any minority law student at any school. Furthermore, advising will be provided on a limited basis to minority students. (http://www.onlineasp.org/) Note the site that has been maintained on the University of Dayton Website will be moved. I will provide specific information when that has occurred. The need for support for students of color is great and we hope that you will join us and other’s efforts in reducing attrition and improving academic performance for minority students. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Thanks for your help!
