- LAW STUDENTS RECEIVE INDIANA SUPREME COURT FELLOWSHIPS
- Seven incoming Valparaiso University law students have been selected for prestigious legal education fellowships sponsored by the Indiana Supreme Court to promote diversity within the legal profession.
Dana Bolden of Merrillville; Cristal Cabrera of Schererville; Cipriano Rodriguez of Chesterton; Arie Lipinski of Russiaville; Alexis Figueroa of Bartlett, Ill.; Shayle Keating of Teaneck, N.J., and Steven Zamora of San Diego received fellowships to participate in the annual Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO).
Each year, approximately 30 students who will be enrolling in Indiana law schools are chosen to participate in a six-week Summer Institute before they begin law school. This year's institute is taking place at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis June 14 through July 24.
"These students represent groups who have not traditionally been represented in the legal profession and would not ordinarily have the opportunity to pursue a legal education," said Zahra Nwabara, director of admissions-operations at Valpo's School of Law. "Enhancing the diversity of the law school and the legal profession as a whole benefits the legal system in the United States."
A recent report co-sponsored by the American Bar Association and the Law School Admission Council showed that the legal profession is less diverse than any other in the United States with the exception of civil engineering.
The institute includes classes on subjects such as legal writing and research, understanding and drafting contracts, and torts and civil procedures, along with final exams and a final paper. The fellows also typically visit federal and county courts, law firms and other sites.
The program provides a yearly stipend and helps each fellow locate summer employment after their first and second years of law school in positions at Indiana appellate courts, trial courts, government agencies, law firms or attorneys in private practice.