Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School

2025

• Main Program (Co-Sponsored by Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Professionals)
• Part-Time Division Programs, Co-Sponsored by Academic Support, Law School Administration and Finance, Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School, and Teaching Methods
  • Panel 2

2024

• Main Program
• Business Meeting
• Part-Time Division Programs (Co-Sponsored by Academic Support, Clinical Legal Education, and Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School)

2023

• Main Program
  • Panel 1
  • Panel 2
• Award Ceremony
• Women in Legal Education (Co-Sponsored by Law Professors with Disabilities and Allies, Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School, Student Services, and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues)

2022

• Main Program
• Academic Support (Co-Sponsored by Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School)
  • Panel 1
  • Panel 2
• Law School Admission Council Program (Co-Sponsored by Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School)
• Student Services Panel 1 (Co-Sponsored by Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School)
• Student Services Panel 2 (Co-Sponsored by Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School)
• Student Services Panel 3 (Co-Sponsored by Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School)
• Networking Session
• Award Ceremony

2020

• Main Program

2019

• Main Program

The AALS Section on Pre-Law Education and Admissions to Law School (“Section”) has developed awards to recognize individuals, programs, and organizations that further our Section’s mission of bettering legal education and increasing diversity in the legal profession.

The form will require nominators to submit a statement not to exceed one page indicating why the candidate should receive the award for which they are nominated. Nominators may nominate the same candidate for multiple awards and/or multiple candidates for the same award, but separate submissions are required for each nomination. Self-nominations are welcome. Typically, an individual will not win multiple awards in the same year. Award purpose, eligibility requirements, and selection criteria are noted below for each award. Award recipients will be announced by early November and are strongly encouraged to attend the AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Section of the Year

2023 Winner

Excellence in Pre-Law Advising Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize a pre-law advisor who demonstrates excellence in all aspects of their position and who has made significant efforts to increase diversity within the legal progression.

Eligibility: Full-time or part-time pre-law advisors.

Criteria: Community – fosters a safe and inclusive culture; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Excellence – takes initiative to enhance quality of pre-law advising program; Respect – shows regard for other’s traditions, abilities, qualities, perspectives, and contributions; Inspiration – encourages growth among advisees.

Financial Aid Change-Maker

Purpose: This award is to recognize an individual or team that has created structural and systemic change in financial aid innovation or delivery in an effort to increase access to legal education and diversify the legal profession.

Eligibility: Nominated individuals/teams should serve members of underrepresented populations interested in the pursuit of legal education. Services may include any number of the following supports: information panels, financial aid counseling, reducing, or eliminating barriers to paying for a legal education, FAFSA support, scholarship strategies, peer/industry networking, and financial literacy.

Criteria: Individuals or teams that demonstrate through educational and professional programming, resource allocation, and solutions that directly address financial challenges, a commitment to serving underrepresented populations in the pursuit of legal education.
Discovery – encourages creativity in problem-solving.
Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession.
Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes.
Supportive – provides guidance to individuals who need assistance.

Up-and-Comer Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who, through their professional efforts, has helped to increase access to legal education among individuals who are or have been historically underrepresented in law school and the legal profession.

Eligibility: Individuals who work in the field of pre-law advising, law school administration, or other professions related to pre-legal education and admission to law school and who have fewer than ten (10) years of experience in this field.

Criteria: Collaboration – works well with other individuals and/or institutional partners; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Growth – seeks out opportunities for professional and personal development; Responsiveness – listens and learns from others; Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes.

Unsung Hero Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who consistently goes above and beyond in performance of their job responsibilities and helps to increase diversity and inclusion within law school and the legal profession.

Eligibility: Individuals who work in the field of pre-law advising, law school administration, or other professions related to pre-legal education and admission to law school.

Criteria: Community – fosters a safe and inclusive culture; Collaboration – works well with other individuals and/or institutional partners; Growth – seeks out opportunities for professional and personal development; Integrity – makes ethical decisions; Responsiveness – listens and learns from others.

Programmatic Change-Maker Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize a program that has created structural and systemic change in an effort to increase access to legal education and diversify the legal profession.

Eligibility: Programs should serve members of underrepresented populations interested in the pursuit of legal education. Services may include any number of the following supports: industry career and information panels, mock first-year experiences, mentor pairing, application support, academic strategies, peer/industry networking, and financial literacy. The program should operate for at least one year.

Criteria: Discovery – encourages creativity in problem-solving; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes; Supportive – provides guidance to individuals who need assistance.

Organizational Change-Maker Award

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to recognize an organization that has created structural and systemic change in an effort to increase access to legal education and diversify the legal profession.

Eligibility: Organizations—including but not limited to educational institutions, non-profit entities, for-profit companies, start-ups, and bar associations—that have been in operation for at least one year. The organization may demonstrate through educational and professional programming, resource allocation, and solutions that directly address social challenges, a commitment to serving underrepresented populations in the pursuit of legal education.

Criteria: Community – fosters a safe and inclusive culture; Discovery – encourages creativity in problem-solving; Diversity – undertakes efforts to increase diversity within the legal profession; Innovation – develops new models or frameworks; enhances current processes.

Recipients

• September 2024 Newsletter
• August 2024 Newsletter
• June 2024 Newsletter
• April 2024 Newsletter
• March 2024 Newsletter
• December 2023 Newsletter
• November 2023 Newsletter
• August 2023 Newsletter
• May 2023 Newsletter
• April 2023 Newsletter
• February 2023 Newsletter
• Prelegal Education and Admission to Law School 2020 Newsletter

Upcoming

Past

Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School – Admission Cycle Recap with Prelaw Advisors
Thursday June 27th  2:00 – 3:00 pm EST/1:00 – 2:00 pm CT/12:00 – 1:00 pm MT/11:00 – 12:00 pm PST
Watch the Recording Here