June 10, 2010
On
June 2, 2010, a lively group of college sophomores and juniors
gathered for the first day of the Ronald H. Brown Prep Program for
College Students. Celebrating a milestone fifth anniversary,
this nine-week educational experience is offered by the Law
School’s Ronald H. Brown Center for
Civil Rights and Economic Development, in partnership with:
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice/CUNY Department of Latin
American and Latina/o Studies
- Medgar Evers College/CUNY
St. John’s University - United Negro College Fund Colleges
- York College/CUNY
The Program aims to reach students from underrepresented
backgrounds − who are often the first members of their family to
attend college − and encourage them to apply to law school and
pursue the study and practice of law. Through a rigorous selection
process, each undergraduate college selects sophomore students for
the Program. Students who successfully complete the Program as
sophomores can apply to participate in the Program’s curriculum for
juniors the following summer.
Photo Gallery
Those students who have completed their sophomore year in
college earn academic credit while taking law school courses taught
by St. John’s faculty and engaging in internships with judges and
lawyers in a variety of practice settings. Those students who
completed their junior year in college take a comprehensively
designed LSAT prep course.
Throughout the summer, students receive ample guidance and support
from the Program’s faculty and student leaders to optimize their
success in the law school application and admissions process. Over
the past five years, participants in the Program have seen a
dramatic average increase in their LSAT scores. More importantly,
40 program graduates have been accepted to some of the most
competitive law schools in the nation, including:
- American University
- Boston College
- Duke University
- George Washington University
- Georgetown University
- New York University
- St. John’s University
- University of California Davis
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of Michigan
- University of Pennsylvania
- Wake Forest University
- Yale University
The 31 sophomores and 25 juniors participating in this year’s
Program come from a range of undergraduate schools, among them:
- Allen University
- Bennett College
- Claflin University
- Clark Atlanta University
- John Jay College/CUNY
- Medgar Evers College/CUNY
- Morehouse College
- Oakwood University
- Spelman College
- St. Augustine College
- St. John’s University
- Tougaloo College
- University of Michigan
- York College/CUNY
Coming together to share their common interest in the law, the
students were greeted by Professor
Leonard M. Baynes, Program Director and Director of the Ronald
H. Brown Center, with these inspiring words: “You are part of a
movement that’s slowly but surely making a difference. You’re
changing the law school landscape and the face of the legal
profession. The opportunities for success are here for you. No one
stands in your way. Believe in yourself. You will be in the
vanguard that will change the world.”
For more information on the Ronald H. Brown Prep Program for
College Students, please contact us at baynesl@stjohns.edu.