Seven Principles: Increasing Access to Law School Among Students of Color

Authors

Catherine E. Smith, Washington and Lee University School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Iowa Law Review

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

In Fall 2010, I became one of the first tenured professors in the nation to hold a deanship dedicated exclusively to diversity in a school of law. As the Associate Dean of Institutional Diversity and Inclusiveness at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law ("SCOL"), I am charged with strengthening access to the legal academy, particularly among, but not limited to, students and faculty of color. This Essay describes the evolution of my role and the seven principles that currently guide student pipeline and recruitment efforts at the SCOL. These principles help the SCOL focus those efforts, work strategically, and increase the likelihood that desired outcomes will be achieved. I conclude by offering three examples of efforts undertaken by the SCOL in the first six months of my service as associate dean, each of which reflects the principles in action.

Recommended Citation

Catherine E. Smith, Seven Principles: Increasing Access to Law School Among Students of Color, 96 Iowa L. Rev. 1677 (2011).