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<p>Delaware Law School has once again served as a learning laboratory for a group of undergraduates thinking about pursuing juris doctor degrees for careers in law.</p>
<p>The Jurist Academy, now in its ninth year, hosted 15 students for a two-week summer stay on campus that involved mock law school classes and exams, training preparation for the Law School Admissions Test, field trips to court and a law firm, and meetings with key school administrators.</p>
<p>The program was designed to provide an immersion experience for rising college juniors and seniors from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in the legal profession.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s allowing me to be a step ahead, to see what it&rsquo;s like before I decide to do it,&rdquo; said Jurist Academy student Gioana Ashley of Goldey-Beacom College. &ldquo;You learn so much and you&rsquo;re exposed to so many types of law.&rdquo;</p>
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<div style="float: right; width: 33%;"><img src="{staticroot}files/resources/2016juristacademy500px.jpg" alt="Jurist Academy" width="98%;" />
<p><em>See <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlaw/albums/72157668873153131/with/27164261400/" target="_blank">additional photos</a> from the Jurist Academy program.</em></p>
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<p>Jurist Academy Director Nicole Barkley, assistant dean and multicultural affairs officer, said that&rsquo;s exactly what Delaware Law School wants the participants to experience. By setting them up in mock classes with exams, they get a feel for the rigors of law school. By taking them on a field trip to one of the program sponsors, Richards Layton &amp; Finger in Wilmington, they hear from young associates about the expectations of big-firm life. By taking them on a field trip to Delaware County, Pa. Court of Common Pleas, they get a window into courtroom advocacy.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This program is an eye opener and a game changer for a lot of these participants,&rdquo; Barkley said. &ldquo;For many it solidifies their interest in a legal career and allows them to pursue a J.D. with confidence because they are primed for success. For others it might get them thinking about alternative careers in the law outside of those requiring a J.D., if they decide the degree is not for them. Either way we are proud of the valuable service the program provides.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Delaware Law School graduate Renee Mosley, who earned her J.D. in May, said she found what she was looking for in the Jurist Academy. She recently accepted an associate position at Richards Layton &amp; Finger, the firm she first visited on a Jurist Academy field trip several summers ago.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I am forever grateful for my experience at Jurist Academy. Jurist Academy not only gave me the skills I needed to succeed in law school, but also the confidence to pursue my dreams,&rdquo; Mosley said.</p>
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