Table of
Contents
04 | History and Mission
06 | AccessLex Center for Legal
Education Excellence
10 | AccessLex Center for
Education and Financial
Capability
14 | Our Member Law Schools
At AccessLex Institute, we believe that law school
ool offers training
t bilit and
d
and education that is unmatched in its quality, portability
flexibility, creating the potential for a lifetime of personal and
professional success for anyone with the motivation to achieve.
That’s why, in partnership with our 200 Member law schools,
improving access and positively influencing legal education has
been at the heart of our mission since 1983.
Through the various programs housed in each of our Centers —
the AccessLex Center for Legal Education ExcellenceSM and the
AccessLex Center for Education and Financial Capability SM— we
continue our multi-decade quest to help talented, purpose-driven
students find the path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional.
And through the provision of actionable data and objective
analysis, we will help law schools continue to innovate and
effectively demonstrate their value to students and society alike.
Christopher P. Chapman
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Get to know us.
Since 1983, AccessLex Institute has continually evolved to meet the ever-changing
challenges and needs of the law students and institutions that we serve. We are
steadfast in our commitment to inform students of the economic realities of law school
without limiting their aspirations. We conduct and commission research to illuminate
the latest data and evidence on the most critical issues facing legal education today.
And we are resolute in our appeal to policymakers and influencers to take actions
that make legal education work better for both students and society at large.
As a nonprofit organization underpinned by nearly 200 American Bar Associationapproved nonprofit and state-affiliated law schools, we are intently dedicated
to the betterment of legal education.
AccessLex Institute has more than 80 employees in our offices in West Chester,
Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. and in field offices throughout the United States.
We currently have more than $500 million in total net assets.
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AccessLex Institute fosters broad-based
access to quality legal education for
talented, purpose-driven students and
works to maximize the value
and affordability of a law degree
through policy advocacy, research
and student-focused initiatives.
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AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence
Through the provision of actionable data
and objective analysis, we help law schools
continuously innovate and improve.
Based in Washington, D.C., the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence is committed to understanding the barriers that impede
access to law school for historically underrepresented groups and improving access to law school for all; identifying actionable strategies
and public policies to increase law school affordability; and strengthening the value of legal education.
Providing Actionable
Research and Evaluation
Building Opportunities
for Diversity and Success
This Center contributes to knowledge and practice within legal
education specifically, and graduate and professional education
more broadly, through the efforts of its Research and Data Division.
Activities include collecting and analyzing data, commissioning
external experts and collaborating with other organizations to publish
and report on the issues most relevant to our research priorities.
As a core tenet, AccessLex Institute believes that legal education
should be obtainable for all talented individuals, regardless of
circumstance. Through diversity-focused programming, research,
advocacy and grantmaking, we seek to expand access to legal
education for historically underrepresented minority students and
students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Transforming Knowledge into Power with Key Metrics
Data-informed decision-making is increasingly important for law school leaders and the students they serve.
And it is more important than ever to make legal education data actionable and easy to use.
Analytix by AccessLex puts law school data into clear and accessible formats, allowing the legal education community
to readily analyze, research and compare law school-specific information. Analytix puts the power to benchmark various
schools, display trends, gain crucial insights and fuel independent research right into the hands of those who need it.
SM
PEER GROUP COMPARISON
Produce a downloadable report comparing a law school of
your choice to a customizable group of institutions.
Influencing Legal Education Policy
Awarding Outcome-Driven Grants
Improving access to legal education begins with improving
education policy. AccessLex Institute’s Center for Legal Education
Excellence focuses on tracking legislation and regulations with
potential impact on students and the legal education community.
We provide policy analysis, information dissemination and
issue education to Member schools and other graduate and
professional school staff; and we develop policy positions on
key issues impacting access, affordability and value. Our policy
experts routinely speak with lawmakers, policy advocates and
other influencers specifically on behalf of law students and in the
interest of legal education on the whole.
In support of our research and diversity priorities, our grantmaking
approach focuses on funding projects that have the potential to
“move the needle” in legal education. Measurement and evaluation
are essential components for demonstrating the effectiveness and
scalability of interventions and are key factors when deciding what
grants we make. We operate four grant programs to fund research
and other projects related to legal education and our focus on
access, affordability and value. Namely, these include: the Legal
Education Diversity Pipeline Grant Program; the Research and
Dissertation Fellows Program; the Directed Grant Program; and the
Unsolicited Grant Program. These programs have awarded millions
of dollars since their inception in 2014.
TREND REPORT
Generate downloadable graphs and charts to display trends for
select figures of your choice. Focus on data for one law school or
compare to a customized group of institutions.
DOWNLOAD DATASET
Select and download a set of variables for multiple years in
CSV and Microsoft Excel formats to create your own dataset
with information for all law schools.
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON
Create a downloadable report comparing up to five law
schools, side-by-side, across a customized set of figures
for the most recent report year.
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A comprehensive, innovative and engaging financial education
program expressly for our Member law schools.
Law students and those who are about to pursue that path are educationally motivated by definition. They are
high–achieving, purpose–driven, and busy-–so they need a targeted, action-oriented tool that supports their
financial — and life—success in the short and long term.
Based on extensive feedback from students and administrators from more than 40 law schools, we developed
MAX by AccessLex SM to maximize the financial capability and improve the financial well-being of aspiring
and current law students.
FOCUS
on the financial education needs of
AccessLex Center for Education and Financial Capability
the law school student community
The AccessLex Center for Education and Financial Capability offers on-campus and online loan repayment and financial education programming and
resources to help students and graduates confidently manage their finances on their way to achieving personal and professional success. We also
provide professional development opportunities and guidance for school administrators working to improve financial education at their institutions.
ENGAGE students at their level of understanding,
DEVELOP
Supporting Law Students and Schools
At AccessLex Institute, we know firsthand how important it is for
students to understand the realities of their student loans and
finances. We believe that giving students the tools to establish
good financial habits and the information to manage their
financial responsibilities will help them stay on the right path,
even after graduation.
This Center produces and distributes a full range of resources
and publications that examine, explain and provide deeper
expertise and experience
positive financial decision-making skills
context on the topics most relevant to students at various
stages of their law school journey–financing a legal
education, borrowing wisely, budgeting, spending plans,
loan repayment options and strategies and more.
financial—and life—situations in both the short and long term
Our Education Services team members are Accredited
Financial Counselors (AFC ® ) who deliver expert financial
knowledge gain and behavior change
education programming, as well as one-on-one loan
counseling for students.
EMPOWER individuals to take action to improve their
SUPPORT law school professionals in driving
This new program is offered free of charge to our Member schools and their
students, and it is just one of the many financial education resources we provide.
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A Focus on Professional Development
AccessLex Legal Education Research Symposium
Developed to offer law school deans, administrators, faculty and researchers from across the nation
an opportunity to review the latest research and engage in thought-provoking discussions on the most
challenging issues facing legal education today, the Symposium is held annually in conjunction with the
AccessLex Graduate and Professional Financial Aid Conference.
ACC
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AccessLex Student Loan Calculator
To better help students estimate the cost of their legal education,
our Student Loan Calculator:
The first service of its kind to provide on-demand, one-on-one
loan repayment and other financial education information to
graduate and professional students, AccessConnex is a free
helpline that delivers personal, accurate counseling by phone,
live chat or email. Our Education Services team members, all
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC® ), work closely with
students to offer clear, unbiased information to set them on a
sound financial path.
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Prepopulates Cost of Attendance
• Itemizes cost of living components so students can adjust the
figures to fit their lifestyles
• Factors in any outstanding undergraduate loans, scholarships and grants,
income, savings goals and other personal expenses
• Demonstrates the positive effect that prepayment can have on
loan repayment
•
AccessLex Graduate and Professional Financial Aid Conference
For 30 years, this premier annual event has focused on the unique needs of administrators in graduate
and professional financial aid, admissions and career and student services. Developed to inform
and lead the conversations critical to the world of higher education, administrators from all disciplines
come together to share best practices, review and discuss new regulations and learn from expert and
nationally acclaimed speakers.
And of course, the Calculator includes repayment options to help students
choose the plan that best fits their budget and repayment goals.
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AccessLex Institute
Member Law Schools
•
Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law
•
University of Chicago Law School
•
University of Cincinnati College of Law
•
City University of New York School of Law
•
Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall
•
Harvard University Law School
•
Michigan State University College of Law
•
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
•
Texas Tech University School of Law
•
University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson
•
University of Minnesota Law School
•
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
•
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
School of Law
•
Mississippi College School of Law
School of Law
•
University of Toledo College of Law
•
Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law
•
University of Mississippi School of Law
•
University of Puerto Rico School of Law
•
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
•
University of Houston Law Center
•
University of Missouri School of Law
•
Quinnipiac University School of Law
•
Tulane University Law School
•
University of Akron School of Law
College of Law
•
Howard University School of Law
•
University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law
•
Regent University School of Law
•
University of Tulsa College of Law
•
University of Alabama School of Law
•
University of Colorado Law School
•
University of Idaho College of Law
•
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
•
University of Richmond School of Law
•
The University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law
•
Albany Law School
•
Columbia Law School
•
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent
•
University of Montana School of Law
•
Roger Williams University School of Law
•
Valparaiso University School of Law
•
American University Washington College of Law
•
Concordia University School of Law
College of Law
•
University of Nebraska College of Law
•
Rutgers University School of Law – Camden/Newark
•
Vanderbilt University Law School
•
Appalachian School of Law
•
University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
•
University of Nevada Las Vegas William S. Boyd
•
Saint Louis University School of Law
•
Vermont Law School
•
The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
•
Cornell Law School
School of Law
•
Samford University Cumberland School of Law
•
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
•
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor
•
Creighton University School of Law
•
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
•
New England Law – Boston
•
University of San Diego School of Law
•
University of Virginia School of Law
College of Law
•
University of Dayton School of Law
•
Indiana University Robert C. McKinney School of Law
•
University of New Hampshire School of Law
•
University of San Francisco School of Law
•
Wake Forest University School of Law
•
College of Law
•
University of Arkansas School of Law
•
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
•
Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law
•
University of New Mexico School of Law
•
Santa Clara University School of Law
•
Washburn University School of Law
•
University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen
•
DePaul University College of Law
•
University of Iowa College of Law
•
New York Law School
•
Seattle University School of Law
•
Washington University School of Law
School of Law
•
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
•
The John Marshall Law School
•
New York University School of Law
•
Seton Hall University School of Law
•
University of Washington School of Law
•
Ave Maria School of Law
•
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke
•
University of Kansas School of Law
•
University of North Carolina School of Law
•
University of South Carolina School of Law
•
Washington and Lee School of Law
•
University of Baltimore School of Law
School of Law
•
University of Kentucky College of Law
•
North Carolina Central University School of Law
•
University of South Dakota School of Law
•
Wayne State University Law School
•
Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
•
Drake University Law School
•
University of La Verne College of Law
•
University of North Dakota School of Law
•
South Texas College of Law Houston
•
West Virginia University College of Law
•
Baylor Law School
•
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
•
Lewis and Clark Law School
•
Northeastern University School of Law
•
University of Southern California Gould School of Law
•
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley
•
Belmont University College of Law
•
Duke University School of Law
•
Liberty University School of Law
•
Northern Illinois University College of Law
•
Southern Illinois University School of Law
•
Boston College Law School
•
Duquesne University School of Law
•
Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
•
Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase
•
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
•
Western New England 6OJWFSTJUZ School of Law
•
Boston University School of Law
•
Elon University School of Law
•
Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
College of Law
•
Southern University Law Center
•
Western State College of Law
•
Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
•
Emory University School of Law
•
University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
•
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
•
Southwestern Law School
•
Whittier Law School
•
Brooklyn Law School
•
Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones
•
Loyola Law School Los Angeles
•
Notre Dame Law School
•
St. John’s University School of Law
•
Widener University Commonwealth Law School
•
University of Buffalo School of Law
School of Law
•
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
•
Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad
•
St. Mary’s University School of Law
•
Widener University Delaware Law School
•
University of California, Berkeley School of Law
•
University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law
•
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
College of Law
•
St. Thomas University School of Law
•
Willamette University College of Law
•
University of California, Davis School of Law
•
Florida A&M University College of Law
•
University of Maine School of Law
•
Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
•
University of St. Thomas School of Law
•
William & Mary Law School
•
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
•
Florida International University College of Law
•
Marquette University Law School
•
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
•
Stanford University Law School
•
University of Wisconsin Law School
•
University of California, Irvine School of Law
•
Florida State University College of Law
•
University of Maryland Francis King Carey
•
University of Oklahoma College of Law
•
Stetson University College of Law
•
University of Wyoming College of Law
•
University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
•
Fordham University School of Law
School of Law
•
Oklahoma City University School of Law
•
Suffolk University Law School
•
Yale Law School
•
California Western School of Law
•
George Mason University School of Law
University of Massachusetts
•
University of Oregon School of Law
•
Syracuse University College of Law
•
Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo
•
Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins
•
The George Washington University Law School
School of Law – Dartmouth
•
Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law
•
Temple University Beasley School of Law
The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys
•
University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
•
University of Tennessee College of Law
School of Law
•
Penn State Law
•
Texas A&M University School of Law
•
School of Law
•
Georgetown University Law Center
•
Capital University Law School
•
University of Georgia School of Law
•
Case Western Reserve University Franklin T. Backus
•
Georgia State University College of Law
•
Mercer University School of Law
•
Penn State – Dickinson Law
•
University of Texas at Austin – Texas Law
School of Law
•
Golden Gate University School of Law
•
University of Miami School of Law
•
University of Pennsylvania Law School
•
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall
•
Gonzaga University School of Law
•
University of Michigan Law School
•
Pepperdine University School of Law
•
The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
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School of Law
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