MSP Pre-Law Summer Academy Celebrates First Graduates

The first cohort of students have completed the Minority Student Program (MSP) Pre-Law Summer Academy and celebrated with a graduation on July 27. With support from Ballard Spahr LLP, its chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, Virginia Essandoh, and the Law School Admission Council, the Pre-Law Academy offered eight weeks of LSAT preparation through 7Sage along with two proctored practice tests. However, the Academy’s support extended well beyond test preparation.

“The goal of the Pre-Law Academy was to provide students from underserved communities with the tools they need to improve their law school admission rates,” says Rhasheda Douglas, MSP assistant dean. “A lot of students from these communities have high application rates but lower acceptance rates, and that’s due to systemic inequalities like access to expensive test preparation programs.”

Throughout the eight-week Academy, students received in-depth admissions counseling from Rutgers Law School Senior Associate Dean of Admissions Matt Saleh as well as pre-law advising and support and learned how to compose a strong law school application. They also participated in mock law classes, networked with current MSP students, attended meetings with members of the judiciary and Bar Association leaders, and took part in career development opportunities such as alumni panels and visits to local law firms, a state government agency, and a public interest agency. The experience culminated in one-on-one meetings with admissions deans and directors from various law schools, where students reviewed their resumes, personal statements, and LSAT practice scores.

The program, which included both in-person and virtual components, was offered at no cost to participants.

“It was an amazing experience and the important gems I received throughout the program will stick with me throughout my life journey,” said Justin Baysmore, an alumnus of Pennsylvania State University who graduated from the Academy.

“This program has truly emphasized the importance of being part of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, especially during a time when these values seem to be under attack,” said Jose Zarazua, a paralegal and Rutgers-Camden alumnus. “I am proud to be a graduate of this inaugural cohort and look forward to seeing how far this program will go in the future. I am confident that it will continue to shape and inspire future legal professionals as it has done for me.”

Academy graduates will have access to the online LSAT prep tools through the end of the year so they can continue to take practice tests and receive live feedback from instructors. And while Douglas admits that she would be elated should any of the Academy grads decide to apply to Rutgers Law School, she made it clear that the goal was to help them improve their chances of admission wherever they choose to apply.

“MSP is designed to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession overall, and the Summer Academy aligns perfectly with that mission because it invests in pipeline efforts, even if students don’t ultimately come to Rutgers Law School,” Douglas says, adding that the first Academy cohort included students not only from Rutgers University–Camden but also from Temple University, Penn State University, the University of Delaware, and other institutions. “If we can continue to reach as broadly as we can, I think we’ll achieve our goal of improving access to legal education,” she says. “The MSP—and the Summer Academy—are bigger than Rutgers alone and, thankfully, MSP is supported by law firm partners and other law-related entities that share the same goal.”

Plans are already in place for the Pre-Law Summer Academy to return in 2025, thanks to funding from MSP’s first-ever sponsor, Archer & Greiner PC.