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UH LAW CENTER LAUNCHES ASPIRING LAWYER MAGAZINE
he University of Houston personal statement, all of which
TLaw Center in October are parts of the application
debuted a new online publication process. They sometimes
dedicated to undergraduate make uninformed choices that
students nationwide interested disadvantage their law school
in attending law school. Aspiring application,” he said.
Lawyer magazine features The magazine is a complement
insights, tips, success stories, to UH Law Center’s award-
and guidance for pre-law winning Pre-Law Pipeline
students, especially those from Program. Now in its seventh
underrepresented backgrounds. year, the Pipeline Program has
“I am delighted that we have four tracks and a track record of
established the Aspiring Lawyer excellence. Eighty-two scholars
magazine which will provide have been accepted to law school
helpful hints and advice for and have received $5,434,229 in
students who plan to be lawyers,” scholarship funds. A total of 69
said University of Houston Law undergraduate schools have also
Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes. been represented throughout
“UH Law Center has always the lifespan of the program.
provided a pathway to the profession for law school students of all Students who participate in the LSAT prep curriculum have also
backgrounds. It’s only rational for us to produce this magazine so that seen an average LSAT score increase of 11-14 points with the highest
as many people as possible know that a legal education is within their individual LSAT score increase of 27 points.
reach and to help them achieve their dreams.” Professor Meredith J. Duncan, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity,
Baynes noted that it is often a lack of information about the career Inclusion, and Metropolitan Programs oversees the pipeline program.
trajectory necessary to become a practicing lawyer that can keep She says that men and women of color appear in disproportionally
someone from pursing a law degree. He says the magazine will be a low numbers among lawyers and judges today.
resource that students can learn from as they navigate the law school “The legal profession is not nearly as diverse as it needs to be to best
application process and beyond. serve our communities, and here at UHLC we are proud of how our
“During my career, I’ve seen too many young people give up on Pre-Law Pipeline Programs have been successful in increasing the
their dream to become a lawyer because they think that the LSAT is numbers of qualified, diverse law school applicants from populations
too hard, or they prioritize working full time while in college and currently underrepresented in the legal community. First-generation
don’t focus on keeping the GPA high or don’t develop relationships students and students from ethnic or racial groups often just need the
with faculty who can write important letters of recommendation or information, tools, and guidance to learn how to become lawyers. ^
don’t line anyone up who can critically review their very important
HIPLA APPLAUDS INCLUSION EFFORTS OF UH LAW CENTER’S
INSTITUTE FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & INFORMATION LAW
he University of Houston Law Center’s Institute for Intellectual “The University of Houston Law Center has been a national leader
TProperty & Information Law (IPIL) was the recipient of the in diversity of student body and promotion of IP legal studies,” said
inaugural 2021 Houston Intellectual Property Law Association’s HIPLA president and senior counsel at LyondellBasell Jason Sander
Excellence in Diversity Award. HIPLA created two inaugural awards, ’04, in his congratulatory remarks. “It has produced many diverse and
one for institutional efforts towards diversity and inclusion, and minority leaders in the IP community, including Mr. Mason himself.
another to recognize an individual for their efforts in these areas. The IPIL program continues that tradition and its steadfast focus on
The institutional award was presented virtually to Associate equity and inclusion.
Dean Greg Vetter, the HIPLA College Professor of Law, as the “The diverse student body is no accident. It is the result of the tireless
representative of the Law Center and IPIL at a HIPLA event. work of Dean Baynes and Associate Dean Vetter, who relentlessly
Receiving the individual award was alumnus Dwayne Mason ’93, a seek out and encourage diverse prospective students to join our
shareholder at Greenberg Traurig. intellectual property practice area ^
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