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Twenty undergraduate students got a taste of law school during the Summer Law and Leadership Academy at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law June 5-10.

For Taylor Webster, a political science major at Indiana University East in Richmond, the experience “definitely solidified my path” to law school, she said. Webster was slated to give the opening statement at the mock trial at the end of the week-long program, while academy participant Rayvon Addison, a Ball State University student, was preparing his closing trial statement.

Addison called the program an “eye-opening experience.” “I’ve been really impressed with the diversity at the law school,” he said. “To me, that’s a good thing, to get so many different perspectives.”

The Summer Law and Leadership Academy is designed to introduce undergraduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to law school and the career opportunities available with a law degree. The program is a wonderful opportunity to help students better understand the process of learning to “think like a lawyer” and gain more knowledge about life in law school and beyond, according to Assistant Dean Chasity Thompson, ’02, of the law school’s Office of Professional Development.

She is one of the program’s organizers, along with Professor Shawn Boyne, who said that, in its third year, the Summer Law and Leadership Program has become a critical feeder program to the law school.

“This year's students are an exceptionally strong and talented group,” she said. “This program and our ongoing recruitment efforts play a critically important role in helping our admissions team build a racially and culturally diverse student body.”

Among the faculty were Victoria Bailey, '03, of the Indiana Federal Community Defender's Office, who gave an introduction to criminal law, and Hamid Piroozi, Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor of Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, who introduced intellectual property law. Professor Jennifer Mahoney, Associate Director of the Writing Program at IUPUI, taught writing skills.

Professor Frank Sullivan, Jr., a former Justice on the Indiana Supreme Court, spoke to students about the United States courts, while Professor Boyne taught a negotiations class. Professor Carlton Waterhouse, executive director of the Environmental Energy and Natural Resources Law Program taught classes on civil rights law. Professors Fran Watson, ’80 and Lahney Silva coached the mock trial teams, teaching the students how to conduct a trial over a mere four days. 

Academy students also visited the law firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where IU McKinney law student Kayla Moody-Grant spoke to students. She is a participant in the Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship Program and took part in the academy while an undergraduate student at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Law students Erika Bryant and Eden Strange offered their perspectives as teaching assistants for the Summer Law and Leadership Academy, which Bryant praised as “absolutely relevant” for anyone considering law school.

“This program allows students to put a toe in the water,” Strange added. “Entering the profession of law is a calling, and you want to be sure you have a true election to that calling before spending time and money in law school.”

Applications for the program are due in April prior to the summer program. For more information, visit https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/admissions/jd/diversity/summer-program.