
The University of New Mexico
NEWS RELEASE
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, 277-1593
michal@unm.edu
March 5, 2007
UNM Affiliate American Indian Law Center Receives Law School Admissions Council Funds
Pre-Law Summer Institute to receive $125,000 annually
The Law School Admissions Council has made a five-year funding commitment to the American Indian Law Center's Pre-Law Summer Institute, housed at the University of New Mexico School of Law. The funds, $125,000 per year, will provide student support and allow the center to develop alumni and other long-term funding sources for the institute.
“In legal education, there are relatively few models of programs that have successfully, over a sustained period, done the tough work of preparing members of under-represented groups for outstanding performance in and after law school," said Kent Syverud, chair of the LSAC Board of Directors. "PLSI is one of those few. It was the view of the LSAC board that, because of its longstanding success, PLSI deserved to have stable funding over a sustained period so that the program’s future is assured and so that it can plan for the long term.”
The Pre-Law Summer Institute was the brainchild of then-UNM School of Law Dean Tom Christopher, who saw a need to increase the number of American Indian lawyers across the country. He assigned Fred Hart, a visiting professor who went on to become dean, to run the program. After launching PLSI in 1967, Hart remained in New Mexico to continue overseeing the program, an eight-week summer session that prepares American Indian students for law school and demonstrates their ability to perform at law-school standards.
At the time of the program’s inception, there were fewer than 25 identifiable American Indian lawyers and about 15 American Indian law students nationwide. To date, more than 1,000 students have attended PLSI, contributing directly to the more than 3,000 American Indian lawyers in the country today. It has been referred to as the most successful program in the history of American Indian education. Indirectly, PLSI has been credited with bringing about major changes in American Indian affairs.
In addition to PLSI, the American Indian Law Center provided scholarship funds for American Indian students until 1986, including several hundred students who did not attend the summer program. This assistance is no longer available.
From 1967-71 the program was funded by the Upward Bound Program of the federal Office of Economic Opportunity, and since 1971 basic funding has been provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. However, the BIA funding was reduced by 60 percent in the mid-90s, after which the LSAC stepped in to provide supplemental funding. The new LSAC grant also was secured through the efforts of PLSI graduates who also helped obtain additional funding for the program through the office of New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman while on the Senator’s staff.
Sam Deloria, director of the American Indian Law Center, also credits PLSI Director Heidi Nesbitt: “Heidi is not only responsible for the program’s success over the past 23 years she has been in charge, but her efforts have inspired PLSI and UNM alumni to take the initiative to provide meaningful support to make PLSI a permanent program.”
For more information contact Heidi Nesbitt at 277-5462, nesbitt@law.unm.edu.
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