FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Deadline approaching to apply for law school pipeline program at Heritage University

Toppenish, Wash. – The deadline to apply for a law school pipeline program offered at Heritage University is approaching. Applications for the third year of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program at Heritage University must be in by Monday, April 15, 2024. The program is open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and alumni of Heritage and other colleges and universities.

The LSAC PLUS Program is an innovative partnership between the law schools at Seattle University, the University of Washington and Gonzaga University, and Heritage with the goal of making a law degree more accessible to diverse students in central Washington, especially Latino and Indigenous students. Funded by a grant from the LSAC, the program’s primary objective is to create a pipeline for these students to enroll in law school and then return home to practice.

The LSAC PLUS Program kicks off a three-week session on Friday, June 14, 2024, with in-person classes at Heritage twice a week. The program will expand the students’ knowledge and understanding of the legal field and help them envision themselves as lawyers. Its key aspects include: 1) a visit by several Washington Supreme Court justices; 2) a mock law school class; 3) roundtable discussions with leaders of minority bar associations; 4) mentoring by community lawyers and judges; and 5) modules that provide helpful information to demystify the application process and the law school experience. Students can also choose to visit one of the Washington law schools. A shorter, follow-up program will take place in September. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a $1,000 stiped and a certificate of completion.

Marthy Hernandez, an attorney with Stokes Lawrence in Yakima, Wash. will serve as the director of the LSAC PLUS Program. Hernandez assists clients with business disputes and litigation involving employment matters and contract law. Hernandez interned for the Gonzaga Public Interest and Indian Law Clinic and worked for the Child Youth Advocacy Program for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP).

The application period for the LSAC PLUS Program is being extended, and the deadline to apply is Monday, April 15, 2024. Students wanting more information on the LSAC PLUS Program at Heritage can visit heritage.edu/LSAC. For more information, please contact Kim Bellamy-Thompson at Bellamy-Thompson_K@heritage.edu or Marthy Hernandez at Marthy.Hernandez@stokeslaw.com. For help with media interviews, please contact Davidson Mance, Heritage University media relations coordinator at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@heritage.edu.