As a new law school, the Earle Mack School of Law has been given the rare opportunity to create a diverse community from the beginning. The Law School is committed to creating a community where all faculty, students, and staff can thrive and achieve their personal best. Our community already has begun to reflect the diversity that it values. Students of color constitute over 20% of the student body.
Attracting a diverse student body has been one of the highest priorities for the
faculty and
administrators of the School of Law. Our efforts have included a number of initiatives, most notably:
Scholarships for Entering Students: the Law School provides generous scholarships to its entering students, helping to ensure that students of ability can attend the Law School even if they cannot afford it.
Academic Assistance:The Academic Skills program is available to all law students. Through this program students are guided through the fundamentals of legal analysis, outlining, and exam writing—skills that will serve them well throughout their professional lives. In addition, in connection with their Legal Methods course, all first-year students receive individualized written feedback on their writing assignments and receive additional feedback during individual conferences with their professor. Moreover, from the first day of orientation, each student has a faculty advisor who will guide the student throughout his or her law school career.
Affiliation Agreements with Minority Bar Associations:the Law School has affiliation agreements with many
minority, ethnic, and religious bar associations in the Philadelphia area, so that students who so desire can begin their careers with the support and mentorship of lawyers in their affinity groups. Students also are encouraged to attend bar association events and especially events encouraging diversity in the profession. The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association has initiated a mentoring program that pairs trial lawyers with students of color.
Students have organized their own affinity groups within the law school.
Respect for a tradition of inclusionand for the values that diversity bring to learning are deeply rooted in Drexel University’s history. For 115 years, Drexel’s doors have been open and welcoming to those who have come from disadvantaged backgrounds, those who were not “typical” students, and those who faced major barriers to academic success: women, minorities, immigrants, and the “working class.” The values of diversity and openness will be reflected in every graduate of Earle Mack School of Law.
A Commitment to Public Service:Through its
pro bono service requirement, the Law School has made a commitment to the Philadelphia community and the unmet legal needs of its men, women, and children. The
Co-op Program also includes placements in public interest organizations, which will allow for a more extensive opportunity to serve the underrepresented.