About
An introduction to law school and the practice of law teaching undergraduates from historically underrepresented communities through online law courses and a summer program.
The aim is to increase diversity in the legal profession and at Mitchell Hamline.
Partners
- HBCU Institutions: Delaware State University and Notre Dame College, Ohio, and building partnership with North Carolina A&T State University
- Two and four-year post-secondary institutions in Minnesota starting with North Hennepin Community College.
The Gateway to Legal Education program collaborates with colleges and universities that have large populations of historically underrepresented and first-generation college students. Mitchell Hamline School of Law provides free, online classes to undergraduate institutions. Courses are taught and graded by Mitchell Hamline faculty, sometimes in collaboration with faculty at partner institutions. Course credits are awarded through the undergraduate institution, and tuition is paid to the home institution based on credits earned. Students who complete the Gateway course/s and express interest in applying to law school are encouraged to apply to Mitchell Hamline School of Law with the support of an adviser from the Admissions office and access to a scholarship that pays for an LSAT preparation course and application fees.
The students are also invited to participate in a summer program on Mitchell Hamline’s St. Paul campus. The summer immersion experience is an opportunity for participants to engage first-hand in the legal system, practice of law, and law school experience. Upon completion, participants will have a solid understanding of all the ways in which lawyers participate in the legal system and contribute to society. Participants will also get a realistic taste of what it means to be a law student and a legal professional in a wide array of legal and non-legal fields. Over the course of the multiple day program, participants will interact in one-on-one group settings with legal professionals to learn more about their practice, tour law firms, meet with law students and law professors, and receive an LSAT prep course. Students will also develop relationships with mentors who can assist them as they apply for and pursue a law school education.
Courses
Health Care Law: From Tainted Food to Medical Errors
- Online, asynchronous spring course
- Begins Jan. 16, 2024
- Taught by Professor Barbara Colombo and Affiliated Professor Heather Potter
- Learn from law school faculty, but earn credits towards your undergraduate degree
Course description
Designed for students interested in the law and/or considering attending law school, this course introduces students
to legal concepts and principles that influence health care in America. The course exposes students to a variety of skills that lawyers use in daily practice, including client representation, trial preparation, research, drafting documents, analyzing court cases, and persuasive writing. Students will learn how a law degree can prepare them for a meaningful career path and make a positive difference for people by helping shape health care policy and reform, advocate for patients, and improve the delivery of health care in America.
Introduction to Legal Education and Practice
- Completely online fall course
- Begins TBD
- Learn the law from professors Vanita Banks and Kathryn Russell
- Learn from law school faculty, but earn credits towards your undergraduate degree
Course description
Introduction to Legal Education and Practice provides an overview of the law school experience, including an introduction to first-year law curriculum and the requisite skills needed to be successful in law school. This course will begin with a brief review of the history of the United States legal system and an exploration of critical skills including legal reasoning and case analysis. This will be followed by weekly introductory studies of first-year law courses, including Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Contracts, Torts, and Property. Students will also learn the fundamentals of legal research, reasoning, and writing, as well as have the opportunity to explore career possibilities in the law.
Psychology, Race, and Law
Offered through North Hennepin Community College
- Begins Jan. 9, 2024
- Learn the law from Mitchell Hamline Professor Rick Petry and North Hennepin Psychology Professor Dr. Sean Payton
- Earn credits towards your North Hennepin and Inver Hills Community College degree
Course description
Psychology, Race, and Law examines the interaction between psychology, the legal system, and race, using real-world examples. Topics include eyewitness memory, the insanity defense, involuntary civil commitment, forensic evaluation in cases of child sexual abuse, false confessions, profiling, and child custody determinations. The class addresses various controversies in the law, including jury selection, jury decision-making, police interrogations and confessions, use of lie-detector tests, eyewitness testimony, repressed and recovered memories, and the role of psychologists as expert witnesses.