WEST CHESTER, PA — AccessLex Institute® marks the 10-year anniversary of its grant programs, having awarded over $24.5 million across 362 research initiatives and intervention efforts aimed at enhancing legal education and the law profession.
“The AccessLex grant programs are an integral component of our ongoing quest to increase access, affordability, and value for aspiring lawyers,” said Christopher P. Chapman, President and CEO of AccessLex Institute. Reflecting on the decade since the first grants were made, Chapman shared his gratitude for the team and partners who have contributed to the program’s success.
AccessLex has invested in a variety of grant programs, each targeting specific aspects of legal education. The Diversity Pathway Intervention Grants aim to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups in the legal profession. These grants support programs designed to create more inclusive pathways for aspiring lawyers.
The Bar Success Intervention Grant Program focuses on increasing bar exam passage rates for students most at risk of failing. It funds initiatives that offer targeted support and resources. The Bar Success Research Grant Program, on the other hand, backs empirical studies into various aspects of the bar exam, such as performance predictors and effective preparation strategies. Both programs aim to enhance understanding and improve success rates on the bar exam.
The invitation-only Directed Grants Program supports innovative projects, including efforts by state Supreme Courts to reform bar admission processes. This program allows AccessLex to back impactful initiatives that can lead to significant improvements in the legal field.
Aaron N. Taylor, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence®, highlighted the diverse impact of these grants. “We have supported researchers exploring important theoretical questions, practitioners running programs aimed at fostering inclusive student success, and bar regulators reviewing the means by which they determine competence to practice law,” Taylor said. “Findings yielded by these efforts have contributed vital knowledge and brought about needed reforms.”
The mission of AccessLex’s grant programs is to foster rigorous empirical inquiry into legal education and bar admission. Over the past decade, the institute has played a crucial role in cultivating a research culture that positively impacts aspiring lawyers and the legal profession.
As AccessLex celebrates this milestone, it remains committed to advancing practical research and supporting the development of innovative solutions to challenges in legal education. Through its continued efforts, the institute aims to ensure that aspiring lawyers receive the support and resources they need to succeed.
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