The Yale Law School Launchpad Scholars Program, powered by Latham & Watkins, is focused on increasing opportunity and equity in education and the legal profession. With rising law school application costs and other barriers limiting access to the legal profession, a law degree can be out of reach for some students. This innovative program aims to ensure that excellent applicants from all backgrounds can maximize their potential as law students and legal professionals, empowering them to become leaders in their future careers.
Participants will receive tools and resources — including one-on-one mentorship, LSAT preparation, and step-by-step guidance — so they can successfully apply to the law schools of their choosing. The goal of the program is to further diversify the legal profession and ensure that excellent applicants from all backgrounds are able to maximize their potential as law students, legal professionals, and future leaders.
The Launchpad Scholars Program is designed for anyone who plans to apply to law school in the fall of 2024, with the goal of enrolling in the fall of 2025.
The program is open to everyone, but especially welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, including individuals who are (or will be) the first in their families to graduate from college, individuals from low-income backgrounds, members of racially and ethnically underrepresented groups, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans or military service members.
Scholars will be selected based on their potential for academic excellence, leadership promise, engagement with their communities, and ability to work collaboratively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives.