Since launching our grantmaking activities in 2014, we have awarded over $26.4 million in support of our research priorities: access, affordability, and the value of legal education.
Awarded Grants
Grant Program
Grant Status

University of Wisconsin
A $49,999 research grant was awarded to Xeuli Wang, expert on Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis, to explore whether community college attendance plays a role in baccalaureate recipients’ access to graduate and professional education.

New York University
A $49,862 research grant was awarded to Gregory Wolniak, Director of the Center for Research on Higher Education Outcomes, to examine access and completion disparities in graduate education among students of different gender and racial/ethnic identities.

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS)
The Before the JD project will study (1) the opinions held by students at, and recent graduates from, four-year colleges and universities in the United States about legal education and the legal profession; (2) their sources of information about legal education; and (3) the factors that influence their postgraduate choices.

University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law
The University of Hawai’i William S. Richardson School of Law received a grant to support the Ulu Lehua Scholars Program. The Ulu Lehua Scholars Program supports a cohort of incoming J.D. students from diverse backgrounds who have overcome adversity and who show a commitment to work with underserved communities. Student participants receive financial, academic, and moral support throughout their law school careers. Grant funding will be used to expand recruitment efforts to rural communities in Hawaii and the Pacific, bolster academic support for participants through student tutors, provide financial and academic assistance in preparation for the bar exam, and conduct a comprehensive program assessment.

American Bar Foundation
The American Bar Foundation received a grant for the Emerging and Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program in Legal and Higher Education project. Doctoral fellows and visiting scholars will have access to an interdisciplinary scholarly community and benefit from mentoring provided by the ABF’s research faculty. This professional network of scholars will produce innovative, objective, empirical, and interdisciplinary research in legal and higher education.

American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education
A $125,000 grant was awarded to the American Bar Association (ABA) Fund for Justice and Education for the Evaluation of Key ABA Pipeline Programs project. The project intends to measure the effectiveness of three ABA Fund for Justice and Education pipeline programs: the Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund; the Judicial Clerkship Program; and, the Judicial Internship Opportunity Program.

Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law
Since 2002, The IIT Chicago-Kent Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) program offers a three-week program for college students who are underrepresented in the legal profession. The three-week summer institute intends to: introduce participants to law school and the legal profession; provide participants with substantive skills to strengthen their preparation for law school; and educate and prepare participants for the law school application and admissions process. Grant funding will support efforts to improve and enhance program curriculum, engage first and second year college students and strengthen the program evaluation and assessment process.
To read more, please visit https://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/pre-law-undergraduate-scholars-program

St. John's University School of Law
The Ron Brown Prep Program supports students from traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups—who are often the first in their families to attend college—as they apply to law school and pursue legal careers. Grant funding will support program efforts to increase the number of student participants, make the current program more affordable for students, strengthen ties with program alumni, and improve program measurement and evaluation methods.
To read more, please visit http://www.stjohns.edu/law/ronald-h-brown-center-civil-rights/ronald-h-brown-law...

The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, in partnership with the Law and Leadership Institute, currently administers academic enrichment programs offered at eight law schools in Ohio’s six largest cities for high schoolers primarily from urban public school districts. Grant funding will support program efforts to extend the existing early stage pipeline program through college and into law school. The program seeks to improve student participant college GPAs, improve college persistence, and ultimately help students from diverse backgrounds gain admission to law school.
To read more, please visit http://www.lawandleadership.org/