Date Chartered: 1/1/1973

Purpose

The Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School focuses on bettering legal education and increasing diversity in the legal profession, promotes the communication of ideas, interests, and activities among members and makes recommendations on matters of interest touching on education prior to law school admission, the advising and counseling of pre-law students and the law school admissions process.

Leadership  Section Members

Bylaws of the Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School 

The AALS Section on Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School (“Section”) has developed awards to recognize individuals, programs, and organizations that further our Section’s mission of bettering legal education and increasing diversity in the legal profession.

Nominations must be submitted through this form by September 1, 2021. The form will require nominators to submit a statement not to exceed one page indicating why the candidate should receive the award for which they are nominated. Nominators may nominate the same candidate for multiple awards and/or multiple candidates for the same award, but separate submissions are required for each nomination. Self-nominations are welcome. Typically, an individual will not win multiple awards in the same year. Award purpose, eligibility requirements, and selection criteria are noted below for each award. Award recipients will be announced by early November and are strongly encouraged to attend the AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Section of the Year

2023 Winner

 

Excellence in Pre-Law Advising Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize a pre-law advisor who demonstrates excellence in all aspects of their position and who has made significant efforts to increase diversity within the legal progression.

Eligibility: Full-time or part-time pre-law advisors.

Criteria: Community – fosters a safe and inclusive culture; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Excellence – takes initiative to enhance quality of pre-law advising program; Respect – shows regard for other’s traditions, abilities, qualities, perspectives, and contributions; Inspiration – encourages growth among advisees.

 

Up-and-Comer Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who, through their professional efforts, has helped to increase access to legal education among individuals who are or have been historically underrepresented in law school and the legal profession.

Eligibility: Individuals who work in the field of pre-law advising, law school administration, or other professions related to pre-legal education and admission to law school and who have fewer than ten (10) years of experience in this field.

Criteria: Collaboration – works well with other individuals and/or institutional partners; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Growth – seeks out opportunities for professional and personal development; Responsiveness – listens and learns from others; Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes.

 

Unsung Hero Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who consistently goes above and beyond in performance of their job responsibilities and helps to increase diversity and inclusion within law school and the legal profession.

Eligibility: Individuals who work in the field of pre-law advising, law school administration, or other professions related to pre-legal education and admission to law school.

Criteria: Community – fosters a safe and inclusive culture; Collaboration – works well with other individuals and/or institutional partners; Growth – seeks out opportunities for professional and personal development; Integrity – makes ethical decisions; Responsiveness – listens and learns from others.

 

Programmatic Change-Maker Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize a program that has created structural and systemic change in an effort to increase access to legal education and diversify the legal profession.

Eligibility: Programs should serve members of underrepresented populations interested in the pursuit of legal education. Services may include any number of the following supports: industry career and information panels, mock first-year experiences, mentor pairing, application support, academic strategies, peer/industry networking, and financial literacy. The program should operate for at least one year.

Criteria: Discovery – encourages creativity in problem-solving; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes; Supportive – provides guidance to individuals who need assistance.

 

Organizational Change-Maker Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize an organization that has created structural and systemic change in an effort to increase access to legal education and diversify the legal profession.

Eligibility: Organizations—including but not limited to educational institutions, non-profit entities, for-profit companies, start-ups, and bar associations—that have been in operation for at least one year. The organization may demonstrate through educational and professional programming, resource allocation, and solutions that directly address social challenges, a commitment to serving underrepresented populations in the pursuit of legal education.

Criteria: Community – fosters a safe and inclusive culture; Discovery – encourages creativity in problem-solving; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes.

 

Recipients

2024Programmatic/Organizational Change-Maker AwardSuffolk Law School Pre-Law Achievers NetworkSuffolk University Law School

Year Award Name Recipient Law School
2024 Excellence in Pre-Law Advising Award Lauri La Pointe University of California, Berkeley School of Law
2024 Up-and-Comer Award Danielle Saavedra Texas Tech University School of Law
2024 Unsung Hero Award Gayla Jacobson City University of New York School of Law
2023 Excellence in Pre-Law Advising Award Tina Coco The City University of New York, Baruch College
2023 Presidential Spotlight Award Bekah Saidman-Krauss The Pennsylvania State University – Dickinson Law
2023 Up-and-Comer Award Hannah Berman The University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences
2023 Unsung Hero Award Alicia Miles Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana
2023 Programmatic Change-Maker Award The Dillard Legal Education Advancing Diversity (LEAD) Program Dillard University
2023 Organizational Change-Maker Award Undoculaw Northwest Undoculaw Northwest
2022 Excellence in Pre-Law Advising Award Glenn D. Magpantay Hunter College, The City University of New York
2022 Up-and-Comer Award Jean Pierre Bonnet-Laboy Saint Louis University School of Law
2022 Unsung Hero Award Madelyn Ferrans Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Public and Global Affairs
2022 Programmatic Change-Maker Award N/A FIU Law Path to the Legal Profession
2022 Organizational Change-Maker Award N/A AccessLex Institute

Upcoming

Past 

GRE Part Two: Reactions from Law Schools
Thursday, May 19, 2022, 2 – 3pm ET
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GRE 101
Thursday, March 3, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
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The Winds of Change – Insights from AccessLex on Washington
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
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Webcam Like You Mean It
Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
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