Law SchoolYes We Can

BACKGROUND-LSYWC WAS FOUNDED TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION. IT IS THE FIRST LAW SCHOOL DIVERSITY PIPELINE PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN COLORADO, A PROGRAM THAT TARGETS HARD WORKING COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS: 68% OF OUR FELLOWS ARE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS AND 35% ARE FIRST-GENERATION HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. EACH YEAR, LSYWC SELECTS UP TO 25 RISING COLLEGE STUDENTS AS FELLOWS. LSYWC MATCHES EACH FELLOW WITH THREE MENTORS: ONE SENIOR LEVEL JUDGE OR ATTORNEY, ONE MID-LEVEL ATTORNEY, AND ONE LAW STUDENT. THESE MENTORS MAKE A COMMITMENT TO GUIDE THEIR FELLOWS THROUGHOUT COLLEGE WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING THEM RECEIVE ADMISSION TO THE LAW SCHOOL OR GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEIR CHOICE. LSYWC PROVIDES FELLOWS WITH VALUABLE SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS AND FACILITATES EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITIES TO PREPARE FELLOWS FOR SUCCESS AS FUTURE COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS. WE PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR FELLOWS TO TAKE THE MEYERS BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR (MBTI) & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TESTS TO ASSIST IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. ALL FELLOWS ALSO ATTEND A MINI LAW SCHOOL PRESENTED BY CU LAW. WE ARRANGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FELLOWS TO TAKE BASELINE LSAT TESTS, LSAT PREPARATION COURSES, AND OTHER PRE-LAW WORKSHOPS, SOME OF WHICH ARE PRESENTED BY LSYWC BOARD MEMBERS, AND OTHERS, BY PROFESSORS FROM CU LAW AND DU LAW. OUR IMPACT IS CENTERED AROUND: (1) ACCESS TO EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR FELLOWS, (2) MENTORS WHO SHARE THEIR HURDLES AND SUCCESSES IN A SYSTEM NOT NECESSARILY DESIGNED FOR DIVERSITY, (3) THE CREATION OF A COMMUNITY FOCUSED ON A SHARED MISSION, (4) OUTREACH THROUGH RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND (5) SUPPORT FROM LSYWC SPONSORS AND THEIR NETWORKS. THIS MEANS THAT ACQUIRING A SINGLE NEW SPONSOR OR FELLOW (AND MENTOR TEAM) CAN HAVE A CASCADING EFFECT IN CREATING AWARENESS AND CHANGE WITHIN THE COLORADO COMMUNITY. DURING 2023, LSYWC AMASSED APPROXIMATELY 34,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS, DELIVERED OVER 20 LSYWC WORKSHOPS, SUPPORTED OVER 300 MENTORS, MENTORED OVER 100 FELLOWS & CONNECTED WITH OVER 30 JUDICIAL MENTORS ACROSS THE NATION, INCUDING FIVE OF THE SEVEN COLORADO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES. LSYWC HELPED FACILITATE 17 INTERNSHIPS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF LAW SCHOOL WITH 4 ALUMNI FELLOWS GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOL. THERE IS AN 83% RETENTION RATE WITHIN THE PROGRAM AND A 97% COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE. WE HELD OUR LARGEST FUNDRAISING EVENT TO DATE AND HIRED A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FULL-TIME PROGRAM MANAGER, AND TWO LSYWC FELLOW INTERNS. THE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DENVER LAW FIRM COALITION FOR RACIAL EQUITY PROVIDES FINANCIAL AND IN-KIND SUPPORT TO OUR PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. MISSION: THE MISSION OF LSYWC IS TO DIVERSIFY THE COLORADO LEGAL PROFESSION BY FURTHERING THE LEGAL EDUCATION OF HARD WORKING, LOW INCOME, AND DIVERSE COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE LSYWC CURRICULUM PROMOTES THE PRE-LAW EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ITS FELLOWS. EACH LSYWC FELLOW HAS A MENTOR TEAM THAT HELPS GUIDE FELLOWS THROUGH COLLEGE AND THE PRE-LAW ADMISSIONS PROCESS. POPULATION SERVED: LSYWC SERVES A DIVERSE, LOW-INCOME GROUP OF STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. MOST OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FROM SINGLE PARENT, LOW INCOME, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THE LSYWC OVERALL FELLOW RACE/ETHNICITY IS 63.5% HISPANIC/LATINX, 19.2% BLACK, 9.6% WHITE, 4.8% ASIAN, AND 2.9% NATIVE AMERICAN/AMERICAN INDIAN. THE LSYWC OVERALL GENDER IS 21.2% MALE AND 78.8% FEMALE.