National law firm Ballard Spahr has signed on as a supporter of the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University’s pipeline program for Hampton University undergraduates interested in law school, the firm announced.
At the core of the program is a “summer immersion” experience that teaches students from underrepresented backgrounds about the benefits of a legal education and provides networking sessions, coaching on legal writing and oral communications, LSAT preparation, and guidance from a practitioner-mentor in applying to and succeeding in law school. Hampton University undergraduates who receive admission to Scalia Law School are eligible to receive financial assistance, career counseling, and continued support from their practitioner-mentor.
The program includes classroom courses, panel discussions, and law-related experiences, including visiting law firms, the U.S. Supreme Court, and government agencies.
“We’re excited to work with and support the Summer Immersion Pipeline Program,” said Virginia G. Essandoh, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Ballard Spahr. “We’re committed to enhancing diversity in our firm and the legal profession, including by supporting the pipeline of talented and motivated Hampton University undergraduates interested in going to law school.”
“The Antonin Scalia Law School is honored to receive support from Ballard Spahr for the pipeline program,” said Ken Randall, Allison & Dorothy Rouse Dean and George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law. “Our student body includes many who are first-generation lawyers in their families, and we are committed to providing opportunities for such students to pursue a legal education. The Hampton program advances that goal.”
The Antonin Scalia Law School was founded in 1972 as the International School of Law in Washington, D.C. It merged with George Mason Law School in 1979 and in 2016 was renamed after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Located in Arlington, the school is ranked no. 28 nationally by US News—no. 3 among all 16 schools in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. The school offers J.D., LLM, and J.M. degrees and is home to seven nationally acclaimed centers, including the Law and Economics Center, the National Security Institute, and the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State.
Located in Hampton, Virginia, Hampton University is a historically Black, research-focused institution “grounded in a commitment to an education for life, innovation, and the creation of new knowledge.” Under the leadership of its 13th president, LTG (ret) Darrell K. Williams, Hampton University strives to deliver the number one student experience in America to each and every student. Consistent with its mission, Hampton University’s Pre-Law Institute (HUPLI)—under the Directorship of Hampton University and Seton Hall Law School graduate, Damien L. Bevelle, Esq.—features a pre-law concentration highlighted by an 18-credit-hour curriculum and professional LSAT preparation that readies Hampton University students for academic success in law school and impactful legal careers.
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