ASU Law recognized for commitment to diversity and accessibility

Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law recently received the 2019 Diversity Matters Award for its commitment to increasing diversity and accessibility to quality legal education.

Annually, the Law School Admission Council’s Diversity Committee awards this distinction to a law school offering programs that make a positive impact on the local community by connecting participants to criminal justice or social justice issues.

ASU Law received this year’s Diversity Matters Award specifically for its innovative Pipeline Initiative program. The program focuses on enhancing the diversity of the legal profession by developing and fostering a pathway for high school students that promotes the development of critical thinking and writing skills and fosters values necessary to succeed academically and professionally.

Law schools that receive this award often serve as exemplar models for other law schools around the country.

“The diversity impact award provides validation for the school and our sponsors that we are moving in the right direction,” said Ray English, assistant dean of ASU Law. “Programs like our Pipeline Initiative provide an invaluable contribution to our community and I am honored to be part of this initiative.”

This past year, the Pipeline Initiative served over 200 high school students, at eight Phoenix metropolitan-area high schools. The program also provided the opportunity for select high school students to attend a national moot court competition where two students competed in the final round.

The Pipeline Initiative programing also includes:

• Summer Writing Seminar that helps build writing skills, reading comprehension and critical thinking through legal writing exercises and oral presentations.

• Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP) where participants receive a paid internship at a corporation, local law firm or government agency to encourage their interest in higher education and the practice of law.

• High School Inns of Court (HIC) Program that is designed to improve the writing and critical thinking skills of diverse students who have an interest in pursuing a career in law. A HIC chapter is made up of high school students, law students and attorneys. The HIC chapters participate in the Law Conference and High School Moot Court Competition, hosted by ASU Law in the spring, and the Marshall-Brennan Project High School Moot Court Competition. The Marshall-Brennan competition includes a regional round hosted by ASU Law in November, and the national finals hosted in Washington, D.C., in April.

The Pipeline Initiative is made possible through the following program sponsors: U-Haul International Inc., APS, ON Semiconductor, Snell & Wilmer LLP, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP, Squire Patton Boggs, and the Association of Corporate Counsel – Arizona Chapter.

If your organization is interested in participating or becoming a sponsor, contact Ray English at ray.english@asu.edu.