Pre-Law LEAP Program

If you are coming to the University of Utah and are interested in studying for a career in law, then make the leap to the U of U with the Pre-Law LEAP Program!

If you have any questions, please contact Pre-Law LEAP Professor Ann Engar at (801) 581-4891 and ann.engar@utah.edu or Pre-Law LEAP Coordinator Leo Leckie at (801) 581-8920 and leo.leckie@utah.edu.

Eligibility

Students must apply for the Pre-Law LEAP Program. The Pre-Law LEAP Program is committed to the recruitment of diverse students, recognizing that a diverse student population enriches and benefits the academic, research and civic responsibilities of the institution and community. We therefore seek students from varied backgrounds including, but not limited to, racial and ethnic minority students, or those considered economically disadvantaged or socially and educationally underserved according to the following criteria:

Economically disadvantaged students come from families whose annual income is below the thresholds published in the Federal Register, DHHS. Please attach 2007 federal income tax forms, or 2006 forms if 2007 forms are not available.

Socially underserved students come from environments that inhibit (but not prevent) them from obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities required to enroll in and successfully complete an undergraduate course of study that could lead to a career in law. This includes, but may necessarily not be limited to, (1) students who are the first generation in their family entering college, (2) students limited by their community setting (rural, inner city or reservation), (3) students in foster care, or (4) students raised by a single or divorced parent.

Educationally underserved students are those that have been underachieving in school due to (1) standardized test score averages in their schools markedly below other institutions in the area, (2) coming from financially poor school districts, (3) a limited proficiency in English, (3) parents/adults in household not graduating from high school or having limited proficiency in English, (4) performances on standardized tests below national norms.

Applications should be received no later than June 2, 2008

As a first-year participant in Pre-Law LEAP, you will take courses with students who share similar career and educational goals and similar backgrounds. You will be able to develop a close relationship with your professor and a peer advisor, who will help you take advantage of the many enjoyable activities and programs the U offers.

First Year – In your first semester of the program, you take an American Perspectives class and read the memoirs of attorneys, judges and those involved in important legal cases. In the second semester, you take a class on the role of law in society and studying decisions and their impact on society. These classes will fulfill your humanities general education and university diversity requirements. You may also elect to take a major explorations class, a library skills class, and a service-learning class.

Second Year – You hear guest lectures from judges and attorneys with various legal specialties and observe actual cases in court. You take a logic course to help you learn how to think as attorneys think.

Third Year – Includes a semester-long service project related to legal services and a research-and-writing class that will help you understand what different law schools offer and help you present yourself to law school selection committees.

Pre-Law LEAP is a great way to start your college career and make you a more competitive applicant for the legal profession. Plus, it’s a chance to find your place at the U, meet great people, and enjoy your college education. We are here to make sure you have the support and resources to succeed. Pre-Law LEAP students will also be able to participate in activities of the wider LEAP Program, which enrolls one-fourth of the freshman class at the U, and interact with LEAP students from other colleges such as Business, Health Sciences and Engineering.

Here’s how you apply

First, please make sure to apply for admission to the University of Utah. For information on how to apply to the U please refer to: http://www.utah.edu/future_students/ .

Then, you will be eligible to the Pre-Law Leap Program by submitting (1) the attached Application Form for the Pre-Law LEAP Program and (2) a Personal Statement, one to two pages in length, in which you address your educational and career goals.

Submit by mail:

Pre-Law LEAP Program
c/o Professor Ann Engar
195 S. Central Campus Drive #146
Salt Lake City UT 84112

Submit by fax:
(801) 585-3581
Attention: Professor Ann Engar

Submit by email:
ann.engar@utah.edu