BRIDGING THE GAP SCHOLARSHIP
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Mission Statement
Bridging The Gap Scholarship (“BTG”) is modeled on the principle of increasing minority representation in the AmLaw 100, the world’s largest law firms (commonly referred to as “Big Law”). BTG aspires to pioneer action towards increasing diversity and inclusivity in AmLaw 100 ranked firms in the USA modeled by the data published in the 2021 American Bar Association Statistical Report and the 2021 National Association for Law Placement which shows that minority associates represent less than 7% of AmLaw firms. The organization provides assistance to minorities with the objective to democratize access and equal opportunity for minority law graduates to join AmLaw with financial support and guidance from minority associates working in AmLaw firms.
About This Cause
The Bridging the Gap Scholarship is designed to maximize the potential of each scholarship recipient—empowering them to change the trajectory of their lives. By providing scholarships and mentorship during the most crucial parts of the law school application process, we assist candidates in obtaining admission to the Top-20 Law Schools to improve their chances of working in Big Law. “Big Law” is a colloquialism used to refer to the largest firms in the legal field. These firms are included and ranked annually on the AMLAW 100. Big Law firms often have hundreds or even thousands of attorneys on staff, along with domestic and international offices to provide their clients with a bevy of legal services. Big Law receives significant attention in the legal industry, and these law firms are often associated with prestige. First-year law school graduates who become associates at large law firms typically earn starting salaries between $170,000 to $215,000. Historically, Big Law has struggled with recruiting and retaining diverse talent. In recent years, the industry has made major strides in improving diversity. According to the American Lawyers 2022 Diversity Scorecard, the total number of minority attorneys rose to 20.2%, up from 18.5% in 2021 and 17.8% in 2020. The number of minority partners also climbed, reaching 11.9%, up from 10.9% in 2021, and the percentage of minority nonpartners hit 26.7%, up from 24.6% in 2021. While this shows promise and improvement, far more needs to be done to reach a point where law firm diversity matches the diversity of their local and global communities. Unfortunately, the key issue hindering the growth of diversity in Big Law is the same factor that warrants its prestige and benefits: selectivity. Entry-level opportunities in Big Law are generally restricted to a select group—students from the Top 20 law schools or students in the top 10% of the class from lower-ranking law schools. Because law schools have also struggled to recruit candidates of color, it is inherently more difficult for people of color to join the ranks of Big Law. This reality highlights the importance of The Bridging the Gap Scholarship. By providing financial resources and mentorship to pre-law candidates applying to law school, BTG maximizes the potential for people of color to enter top law schools and subsequently, enter the ranks of Big Law. Many qualified minority pre-law students were unable to show that they have the capacity to attend a top law school or work in Big Law solely because they could not afford to apply to law school or take an LSAT preparatory class. BTG seeks to change that reality and serve as the bridge for the next generation of minority pre-law students to cross into the realm of Big Law, so that they too can pay it forward and change the legal industry. Offering a scholarship can be amazingly complex, but we provide a better, easier way. Offering mentorship in addition to monetary awards helps see students through from start to finish. We provide resources needed to enter into law school and then provide the requisite support to thrive while there.