Stillman College, SIU Sign Agreement For Law School Program - Patch.com
Stillman College and Southern Illinois University Carbondale has signed an agreement aimed at helping students earn a law degree.
TUSCALOOSA, AL — Stillman College and Southern Illinois University Carbondale On Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at helping students enroll and earn a degree from the SIU School of Law.
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Following the finalization of the agreement, Stillman became the first HBCU to establish a student pipeline program with the SIU School of Law.
Stillman College President Cynthia Warrick said the program will allow selected students to participate in a summer pre-law program to expose them to the rigor and policies of law school admissions.
"We are also looking to advance similar programs in pre-health professions for students in Stillman's Biomedical Academy with SIU," She said. "Collaborative efforts like this will ensure Stillman students are competitive for entry and success in law school and other professional programs. We are grateful to SIU for creating this opportunity."
The agreement also includes other options for students considering how they can continue their education after earning their bachelor's degrees.
Camille Davidson, dean of SIU's School of Law, noted in a press release on Wednesday that about two-thirds of minority applicants who apply to the law school are not accepted primarily due to low Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores.
For example, Davidson said there were 246 students in the law school in October 2021, of which 17, or 7%, were Black. What's more, the SIU law school had 41 minority students, including women, last fall.
"We are committed to being an anti-racist and inclusive law school," Davidson said. "The only way to have real access to justice is to train attorneys from various backgrounds. Students from underrepresented populations are often not exposed to the study of law, and many who are interested are not prepared for the application and admissions process. Building partnerships with HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, like Stillman, will help SIU School of Law become more diverse."
In addition to the law school agreement, a new summer program is also in the works.
The program will bring 15 college students from around the country to SIU's campus, May 25-29, to explore legal careers, understand the law school application process and begin to prepare for the LSAT while honing skills necessary for law school, such as understanding how to read and analyze a case.
"We will answer 'Why law school?' We want to provide these students with the resources to be successful in applying to and graduating from law school," Davidson said. "Like SIU, Stillman is located in a rural area and many of the students are first-generation college students."
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source: https://patch.com/alabama/tuscaloosa/stillman-college-siu-sign-agreement-law-school-program
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