Fellows in the LEAP program are paired with a current law student and a practicing attorney for the duration of the fellowship. Fellows connect with their mentors at least once a month. Mentors offer valuable insights from their own experiences, connect Fellows with resources and opportunities, and provide encouragement throughout the fellowship. Attorney mentors illuminate what it is like to work in the field, while student mentors shed light on the law school application process and law school experience.
Program
Description
Core programming during the fellowship includes weekend workshops, individualized mentoring, soft skills development, hands-on exposure to the legal profession, and admissions counseling. A thematic thread of the social justice applications of legal training is woven throughout programming.
Mentoring
LSAT Preparation
During the nine month program, LEAP Fellows receive a full LSAT prep course as they prepare for the exam and law school applications.
Workshops and Skills-development
Eight monthly, all day Saturday Academies include a comprehensive curriculum to prepare Fellows to excel in their law school applications, in law school, and as lawyers. These workshops are hosted at Loyola Law School and the curriculum includes:
- Understanding and successfully completing each element of a law school application
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Professionalism and excelling in law school
- Building core lawyering skills
- Panels and talks from law professionals from diverse professional settings
Social Justice Programming
The curriculum for the LEAP Fellowship was designed through a social justice lens. Each monthly Saturday Academy includes a program on the social justice applications of a law degree. LEAP targets changemakers who see the law as a tool for social justice and aims to provide our Fellows with the necessary skills to do this critically needed work.
Networking
Fellows will be invited to attend local bar association events and meetings in addition to job shadowing opportunities. Fellows will also visit courts to view trials, jury selection, and visit judges in their chambers.
Mock Interview Program
Students will have the opportunity to apply fellowship lessons to practical settings in mock client interviews, depositions and negotiations, and mock appellate court arguments in front of sitting judges and justices.
