The Summer Institute

The School of Law seeks to admit students who will contribute to the intellectual life of the institution in ways that their undergraduate grades and standardized test scores alone fail to reveal. The Summer Institute is designed to identify students with the high degree of personal motivation necessary to succeed in law school, as evidenced by the proven ability to overcome significant obstacles to educational achievement. Examples of criteria for admission to the program include but are not limited to the following: English as a Second Language, rural/urban education, learning and/or physical disabilities, etc.

The Institute includes a substantive first semester course (traditionally selected legal topics - Contracts, Property or Civil Procedure) and a course in legal skills. The program lasts seven weeks, beginning in late May/early June and ending in mid-July. Students who successfully complete this program are accepted into the School of Law for the fall semester. Enrollment in the Summer Institute is limited to 25 students. In the past, approximately 50 percent of the candidates have successfully completed the program. 

Applicants are required to submit a personal statement explaining their eligibility based upon the criteria for admission to the program described above. This program is tuition-free; however, there is a $50 administrative and materials fee required of all participants. Students are responsible for their housing arrangements.