The National Bar Association/AccessLex Institute Centennial Pre-Law Fellowship
Providing aspiring law students with free resources to increase chances of law school acceptance.
AccessLex is exploring a partnership with the National Bar Association (NBA) to launch an effort to foster law school opportunity for aspiring lawyers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The effort would provide participants with exposure to the study and practice of law. Participants who pursue law school admission would also receive comprehensive guidance and support through AccessLex’s diversity pathway program: LexPreLaw. In honor of the NBA’s 100th anniversary in 2025, the effort could be named, The National Bar Association/AccessLex Institute Centennial Pre-Law Fellowship. Participants would be called Pre-Law Fellows.
Purpose
The purpose of the Centennial Pre-Law Fellowship (CPF) would be to provide aspiring lawyers attending HBCUs with important exposure to the study and practice of law as well as access to comprehensive law school admission guidance and support. The primary goals of the fellowship would be to increase awareness among Pre-Law Fellows of what lawyers do; foster mentor/mentee relationships between fellows and members of the practicing bar; and increase the chances of law school admission among fellows.
3-week residential summer experience
AccessLex is willing to commit $250,000 per year to host a 3-week residential summer experience for up to 24 Pre-Law Fellows per year in 2025 and 2026 ($500,000 total). As part of the partnership, AccessLex would require prominent sponsorship acknowledgement at the NBA’s Annual Convention
in 2026.
Structure
Up to 24 aspiring lawyers each year would take part in a fellowship consisting of two components:
- a 3- week residential summer experience and
- comprehensive law school admission support through LexPreLaw.
