Posted: July 16, 2014
AVC, one of twenty-four community colleges partnered with six California law schools, works to smooth the way to a law degree.
The AVC Law Scholars program, designed to prepare community college students for admission to law school in California, is now accepting applications. Program benefits include financial aid counseling, academic advising, LSAT prep, exposure to the legal profession and other steps designed to increase the interest of community college students in law school.
Earlier this year, the California Community Colleges and the State Bar of California announced a new initiative that will provide students at 24 community colleges a smoother pathway to six of California’s top law schools. The Community Colleges Pathway to Law School initiative is an unprecedented effort within California higher education to enhance opportunities and advancement in the legal profession for diverse populations, particularly those who have been underrepresented.
“My goal for this program is to create a pathway for local students directly to law schools, learning the nuances of the profession right here at AVC,” said Dr. Erin Vines, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Services. “Ultimately, I hope these students return to the Antelope Valley as attorneys, judges and community leaders.”
The project, sponsored by the State Bar’s Council on Access and Fairness, established agreements with 24 community colleges and six law schools and their respective undergraduate institutions. Students in the program will receive assurances that credits in prescribed courses will transfer, individual advisement and mentoring from law school advisors and waived application fees for admission to the participating law schools.
"We know that our community colleges have the diversity and talent that the State Bar seeks to enhance the diversity pipeline into the legal profession, as evidenced by many prominent judges and lawyers who attended community colleges,” said State Bar CEO Joseph Dunn. “I am particularly grateful to the six law school deans for partnering in this important initiative to increase the diversity and overall quality of the legal profession."
Participating law schools are University of Southern California Gould School of Law, University of San Francisco School of Law, UC Davis School of Law, UC Irvine School of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law and Loyola Law School.
“UC Irvine School of Law is delighted to participate in this program to create a pipeline from the community colleges to law school,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of UC Irvine School of Law. “We are confident that this pilot program will enhance the diversity of law schools and the legal profession.”
The Community Colleges Pathway to Law School Initiative requires students to complete courses based on a defined set of “success factors” that help make effective lawyers. The transfer initiative will align criteria from these success factors with community college courses already approved in the corresponding Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) to prepare students for law school.
The AVC Law Scholars orientation will be held Wednesday, August 13, 9 a.m. in the Board Room (SSV 151). This kick-off session will introduce the curriculum and support services, along with giving the Law Scholars an opportunity to meet faculty, administration and other students. To RSVP or for more information on the AVC Law Scholars program, please visit http://www.avc.edu/academics/lawscholar/ or contact Dr. Erin Vines, Vice President of Student Services at evines@avc.edu or (661) 722-6300, ext. 6303.