Recent times have seen a handful law schools beginning to offer second chances to their applicants, in the form of a program called LexPostBacc. The innovative program, offering applicants the opportunity to learn their way into law school successes, hints at the new era of education accessibility and diversity. This initiative has been hailed a success with approximately 70% of students taking advantage of the opportunity matriculating into law school through the program. Find the full story at Above the Law.
The program, however, is not without its critics and potential pitfalls as it is already bracing for anticipated backlash. Given the precedent set by SFFA v. Harvard, a case that reset benchmarks for equality and equity in schools, the LexPostBacc program, targetted mainly at underrepresented minority groups, faces certain scrutiny. In order to qualify, participants must either be from an underrepresented racial group; be the first in their families to have graduated from college; or have received a need-based federal Pell Grant as an undergraduate. They must also have scored in the bottom 25 percent of national LSAT takers.
In the light of the current political climate, detractors such as the Tom Cotton brigade are potentially threatening to litigate against organizations that include factors like race into admittance decisions. This raises the question as to whether firsthand graduates or Pell Grant recipients might face similar criticisms or legal actions.
Despite these potential challenges and criticisms, the success of the LPC graduates cannot be undermined. This initiative could be the stepping stone for more law schools to adopt similar programs. The shift towards equity and diversity in education remains undeterred in its course.