Learn how LfA can help your students better prepare for the future
Becoming a participating law school
Lawyers for America, Inc., is a nonprofit with 501 (c)(3) status and is open for participation by any ABA-accredited law school.
Why would a law school wish to participate?
The “medical-model” legal education idea can provide an incredible career boost to students who participate. Partner sites generally favor students who are mature and ready for work, with practical experiences that demonstrate their legal skills (such as participation in moot court or trial advocacy programs, or involvement in pro bono or other experiences in selected fields), rather than focusing just on their GPA. Thus, the program has to date, been a great career boost for students who are excellent in skill-building and practical performance, while they may be “average” performers in typical law school exam testing. (The career trajectories of UC Law SF LfA alumni are here.)
Second, the participants in the program – even if a small number – do not need to spend their 3L year on the job hunt, which is helpful for always-overburdened career services staff. They are employed full-time for a full year at the time of graduation, the benefit of which to law schools need not be noted here.
The central LfA organization handles the payroll/tax/accounting functions of what is in essence a “small business,” as the fellows are legally employees of LfA during their service (post-graduate) year. Having the fellows as employees of LfA is beneficial both to partner organizations and to law schools: the relationship is not entangled with benefits or employment rights that employees might otherwise obtain, which is of particular importance to government entities (sites and law schools).
A participating law school would find its own partner sites and be responsible for supervising its students during their 3L year. While the details of how much unit credit students would earn can differ somewhat from law school to law school, the program is designed to be a high-unit, two-semester externship in order to provide the significant level of practical training and experience that justifies the partner sites guaranteeing the fellows a year of employment, and paying LfA to pay for it. The first law school in a geographic area would determine the appropriate post-graduate salary in that area, taking into account starting salaries at nonprofits and government agencies in the region; that number then determines the cost to sites for a fellow. The program is designed so that all fellows from the law school receive the same salary, to assure that students select a site based on their true interests rather than a small salary difference.
If multiple schools in a geographic area participate they could, for example, cooperate in the supervision of 3L fellows. They could also “share” sites, which could seek applicants for slots from multiple participating law schools. If you are interested in further information about starting a Lawyers for AmericaTM program at your law school, contact Professor Marsha Cohen, Executive Director of Lawyers for America.
Lawyers for America 