PLEDGE Initiative

Participants must be employed by a higher education institution or nonprofit and have an interest in assessing the effects of a law student-facing program. The program should be premised on fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments.

The Bootcamp is limited to 20 participants. Preference will be given to applicants who:

1. describe in sufficient detail a law student success program that they want to assess.
2. submit a joint Bootcamp application as part of a two-person team interested in assessing the same program.

AccessLex will cover two nights' hotel stay for participants. Participants will be responsible for all other travel expenses.

The application form will require you to upload the following documents:

• A statement describing the law student success program that knowledge and skills gained from the Bootcamp would assist you in assessing (no more than three pages)
• Applicant CVs/resumes highlighting relevant experiences and qualifications (no more than three pages each)

Bootcamp application is closed.

Questions about the Fellowship or this application should be directed to PLEDGE@accesslex.org. 

Please note that by uploading your application, you agree to be bound by the terms of the AccessLex Privacy Policy.

Fellowship cohorts will be comprised of up to three teams of two Fellows each, made up of experienced law school administrators, faculty members, or other similarly situated professionals.

Each Fellowship team will undertake a program assessment, called a Capstone, using empirical research methods, focusing on one of the following three strands:

• Admission and Access: must center on assessing the impact of a program designed to foster the successful law school enrollment of people from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Academic Performance: must center on assessing the impact of a program designed to foster the law school academic success of students from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Bar Exam Performance: must center on assessing the impact of a program designed to foster bar exam passage among students from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds

The 14-month Fellowship curriculum will focus on building practical knowledge and skills related to using empirical research methods to design, administer, and assess student success programs. The curriculum will culminate in each Fellowship team drafting a Capstone report detailing findings from the research project it designed and executed.

The curriculum will be centered around nine Fellowship meetings – five two-day, in-person meetings and four 90-minute virtual meetings. The meetings will take place roughly every seven to eight weeks. The first meeting will take place in Atlanta, GA on September 25-27, 2024. The last meeting will take place in November 2025.

The Fellowship cohort will be comprised of up to three teams of two Fellows each, made up of experienced law school administrators, faculty members, or other similarly situated professionals. 

Criteria for Fellowship team composition: 

Required:

• Two people
• At least one member who helps set relevant policies within their institution
• At least one member with access to a pool of study subjects and relevant data
• At least one member with extensive insight and expertise in an area that is relevant to the topical strand on which the proposed Capstone focuses

Encouraged:

• PLEDGE Bootcamp participation by both team members
• At least one member who is employed by an ABA-approved law school that serves large numbers of underrepresented students or is actively seeking to increase student diversity
• At least one member with knowledge of empirical research methods and/or program evaluation
• Team members representing different departments within law school and/or central university

All required application materials must be submitted by July 14, 2024. The selection process will seek to identify 1) Fellowship teams with demonstrated commitments to inclusive student success and 2) Capstone proposals that are relevant, substantive, and feasible. Capstones should be able to be completed in no more than 12 months.

The ideal Capstone project will be tightly focused, centering on a single program, preferably that is already being undertaken by members of the Fellowship team. For instance, a team of admission and academic support professionals may want to study the effects of their law school prep program on student grades. A team of academic and bar success faculty may want to study the effects of a bar prep program on graduate bar exam performance. Proposals based on new projects will be considered and may be selected if their feasibility is clear. In general, proposals that are narrow, targeted, and feasible in the timeframe of the fellowship are viewed most favorably.

Thank you for your interest in the Professionals in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) Fellowship. The selection process will seek to identify 1) Fellowship teams with demonstrated commitments to inclusive student success and 2) Capstone proposals that are relevant, substantive, and feasible. Capstones should be able to be completed in no more than 12 months. All required application materials must be submitted by July 14, 2024. Questions about the Fellowship or this application should be directed to PLEDGE@accesslex.org.