LexScholars Post-Baccalaureate Program

Southwestern Law School is a past participant in the AccessLex Institute's LexPostBacc Program. The goal of the LexPostBacc Program is to provide law schools with a means of offering deferred admission to promising applicants who may need additional preparation and exposure prior to starting law school.

During the 2024-25 admission cycle, participating law schools will be able to offer deferred admission to eligible and selected applicants for entry into the Fall 2026 entering class. Entry is conditioned upon the selected applicants' completion of the LexPostBacc Program curriculum. The curriculum takes place prior to the Fall 2026 entering term and will focus on LSAT preparation; analytical and critical thinking skills building; and financial education. There are no program costs, either for law schools or participants.

  1. Eligibility

    To participate in the LexPostBacc Program, applicants must be referred by a participating law school and must:

    • Discuss in their law school application or supplemental materials “how race affected [their] life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise” and how those experiences are “tied to a quality of character or unique ability” that the applicant would bring to the learning environment. (Quoted language taken from the majority opinion in Students For Fair Admissions, Inc.)
      • Applicants who do not engage in this discussion, but are members of either (or both) of the following groups are also eligible to participate:
        • First-generation bachelor’s degree graduate
        • Pell Grant recipient as an undergraduate
    • Possess a bachelor’s degree or will receive a bachelor’s degree by August 2024
    • Have an LSAT score no higher than the 25th percentile among the national pool of test takers (as reflected on the CAS report)
    • Have not previously enrolled in a J.D. program at an ABA-approved law school
    • Commit to enroll at the referring law school upon successful completion of the program
  2. Participation Benefits

    Participants who successfully complete the LexPostBacc Program curriculum and enroll in their referring law school will receive:

    • Fall 2026 admission by the law school that offered deferred admission
    • A non-conditional, renewable scholarship award of at least 20% tuition from the law school that offered deferred admission
    • A $3,500 stipend from AccessLex Institute (paid in installments: $500 upon successful completion of the program followed by a total of $3,000 over the course of law school study)
    • A Helix Bar Review by AccessLex course, upon graduation from law school
  3. LexPostBacc Program Interest Form

    Southwestern Law School may participate in the LexPostBacc program for the 2024-25 application cycle but has not yet made the decision to do so. Further information on our participation for the 2024-25 application cycle will be available later this year.

    Interested applicants may submit Southwestern's LexPostBacc Program Interest Form so we have notice of your desire to participate in the proram and can easily identify your application once it is submitted.

    Please note that Southwestern Law School applicants who are selected for deferred admission and participation in the LexPostBacc Program will be notified of this decision and asked to consent to Southwestern sharing their contact information with the AccessLex Institute.

For further information on the LexPostBacc Program, please visit their website at https://www.accesslex.org/tools-and-resources/lexpostbacc-program. 

For further information on the application process through Southwestern, please contact the Southwestern Law School Admissions Office at admissions@swlaw.edu or 213-738-6834.

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