THE SPOKESMAN REVIEW — Administrators at Heritage University, a small commuter school near Yakima, noticed a trend in tracking what its students did after graduating in the past five years: Only one of them went to law school. One out of approximately 1,200 graduating undergrads. Heritage University, a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution and Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution, has instead seen many graduates move on to careers in fields including nursing, teaching and social work. Others have pursued doctorates or moved on to medical school. “Grads from (Heritage University) do go on to earn advanced degrees in any number of fields,” said David Wise, vice president of external affairs at Heritage University, “but we have not been successful in law school matriculation.” The situation draws parallels to the longstanding lack of attorneys in central Washington, particularly those of Latino or Indigenous descent, said Annette Clark, dean of the Seattle University School of Law. In an effort to bridge the gap, the schools of law at Gonzaga, Seattle University and the University of Washington aim to launch a program this June in partnership with Heritage to give students a sense of what the life of a lawyer is all about.