NIU Law Receives 2006 Diversity Award from the Council on Legal Education Opportunity

January 30, 2007

DeKalb, Ill. - The Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) presented the Northern Illinois University College of Law with the 2006 CLEO Diversity Award in recognition of the school’s continuing commitment to diversifying the legal profession. This is NIU Law’s second receipt of the distinguished honor, which also was received in 2003.

In partnership with the CLEO College Scholars Program, NIU Law annually hosts undergraduate students from around the nation at the Sophomore Summer Institute. This program is supported by the Thurgood Marshall Legal Education Opportunity Program, a federally funded project of the U.S. Department of Education. Designed for those interested in attending law school, the primary goal of the program is to help low-income, minority or disadvantaged students succeed in law school.

While traditional CLEO programs recruit students who have completed their bachelor degrees and have been admitted to a law school, the Sophomore Summer Institute recruits students in the middle of their undergraduate studies. The Institute, held at the NIU College of Law, was the only one of its kind for the past five years offered in conjunction with CLEO. This year, CLEO will offer two similar programs patterned after the NIU model.

Over the course of the three-and-one-half week session, students receive instruction in legal writing skills, take condensed versions of traditional law school courses, attend Law School Admission Test (LSAT) preparation classes and participate in a moot court program. In addition to their summer activities, students attend CLEO-sponsored workshops throughout the year.

"Whereas receiving recognition is wonderful, the work we do is not about awards - it is all for the students," remarked NIU Law Associate Dean Malcolm Morris, the school’s CLEO Program director. "The Sophomore Summer Institute is entering its sixth year. It started with the belief that we could make a difference in the lives of some deserving young men and women. The program results suggest we have. Thus, we look forward to both continuing and expanding our program in the years to come."

NIU Law has long recognized the importance of fostering a diverse learning environment that attracts individuals with a wide range of interests and backgrounds to provide the best preparation possible for a multi-cultural and multi-faceted world. In addition to the CLEO Diversity Awards, the Princeton Review has ranked NIU Law among the top 10 law schools as having the most diverse faculty for the third straight year. Furthermore, U.S. News and World Report also placed NIU Law among the top law schools for having a diverse student body. In addition, NIU Law is a previous recipient of the Access to Justice Award presented by the Illinois State Bar Association.

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For more information, contact:
Melody Mitchell
Director, Alumni Events & Public Relations
(815) 753-9655
mmitchell@niu.edu