Training and Recruitment Initiative for Admission to Leading Law Schools
Trials is a residential scholarship program that helps talented and motivated college students of modest means gain admission to the nation’s leading law schools.
This rigorous five-week summer course enhances opportunities for students of underrepresented backgrounds by bolstering their skills and focusing their goals.
Trials is a unique partnership of NYU School of Law, Harvard Law School, and the Advantage Testing Foundation. It is a fully subsidized summer study program for students of modest means whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented at the nation’s top law schools. The 2009 Trials program is generously supported by a grant from the Heckscher Foundation.
For five weeks in July and August, Trials students take residence at Harvard or New York University. The residency alternates from year to year, with Harvard hosting the program in 2009, and NYU Law hosting in 2010. The inaugural 2009 Trials session is scheduled to occur from July 13 — August 14.
Each week, senior instructors from Advantage Testing prepare Trials students for the LSAT by deconstructing the test and presenting a step-by-step approach to each question type. Students maintain a rigorous practice testing schedule, frequently sitting for full-length official LSATs under simulated testing conditions. Working closely with their instructors, students learn to develop an individualized study plan, focus their preparation, and apply the core principles they master.
Trials students also attend lectures presented by prominent lawyers, public figures, and legal scholars, including distinguished faculty from both NYU Law and Harvard Law School. These lectures provide a wide-ranging introduction to the study and practice of the law while giving students the opportunity to ask specific questions related to their particular fields of interest.
Perhaps most important, Trials allows students to experience communities similar to those they will encounter in law school. Students form study groups to challenge, motivate, and inspire one another. In lunches with instructors and speakers, students can take part in informal discussions to learn more about the law, their peers, and themselves.
Finally, Trials is committed to taking full advantage of the resources of its host locations. Students enter the field in Boston and New York City to meet with and observe lawyers at work, garnering practical experience that complements the academic curriculum
To find out more about this program or how to apply visit http://trials.atfoundation.org/index