Suffolk Law’s two-week Summer Pre-law Achievers Network (Achievers) is a part of Suffolk Law’s ongoing efforts to eliminate bias and enhance diversity in the legal profession and justice system by prioritizing educational and career pipelines to develop equity for all students in pursuit of a career in the legal field. The Achievers Program is free to attend and is designed to equip participants who come from diverse or nontraditional backgrounds with the tools they will need to prepare successful applications to law school and succeed once they are admitted.
Achievers take legal classes that mirror the 1L experience, get one-on-one application assistance from experienced admission officers, and meet practicing lawyers in and around the Boston area. Achievers also network with attorneys who are using their law degrees to pursue work in diverse fields, both within and outside of the legal profession, such as judges, prosecutors, criminal defense lawyers, in-house lawyers at Fortune 500 companies, public interest lawyers, government lawyers, small business owners, sports agents, and real estate developers.
The focus of this in-person, two-week program is to:
- Introduce Achievers to the law school experience
- Develop personal and professional skills and confidence to prepare for law school
- Create networking opportunities with lawyers who work in a range of fields
- Build a strong law school application, including creating and finalizing your resume, drafting your personal and diversity statements, and discussing the timing for taking the LSAT, JD-Next, or GRE
Upcoming Virtual Info Sessions
Join us virtually to learn more about the program, application process, and more!- Thursday, January 22 at 5:30 pm EST REGISTER HERE
- Wednesday, February 11 at noon EST REGISTER HERE
Eligibility
This program was primarily developed to serve students from diverse and nontraditional backgrounds, including, but not limited to first-generation college students, low income, or members of groups underrepresented in the legal profession. Students must either be enrolled in a four-year college or university program that leads to a bachelor’s degree, or already have their bachelor’s degree, and be on track to enroll in law school in 2026 or 2027. Students must also hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Key Details
Program Dates
- All programming will be in-person at Suffolk Law in Boston
- The 2026 program will run from May 31 - June 12
- Most programming will be held 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. however additional events may be held after 5 p.m. on a few nights
- No formal programming will be scheduled on Saturday, June 6 or Sunday, June 7
Deadline to Apply
Applications should be submitted and complete by Sunday March 8th for consideration.
2026 Achievers Application Form Please note that your application should be completed in one sitting.
Curriculum
Mini 1L Courses
Achievers will participate in two “mini-courses” taught by Suffolk Law professors that introduce the law school environment and first-year subjects. Students will attend approximately 30 total hours of academic classes during the two-week program. One class will be in a 1L doctrinal subject, for example torts or criminal law. The second will be a legal writing class. Faculty will design the courses to be engaging, interactive, and relevant. For example, in a criminal law class, the professor might start a class discussion about a legal matter frequently referenced on social media or refer to Supreme Court cases that were recently in the news.
The Achievers mini-courses are not for credit. We do not expect participants to learn in two weeks what law school students learn in a full semester. However, Achievers will learn skills and content in these classes designed to help them succeed in law school.
Extracurricular Activities
Guest speakers and seminars will supplement the mini-courses to expand participants’ understanding of the law and provide examples of how attorneys use their skills and knowledge in various legal arenas. For example, students may attend a workshop on developing legal apps to help people without lawyers avoid evictions. Participants will visit Massachusetts courts and meet members of Boston’s legal community.
Intensive Application Workshop
Students will join an interactive application workshop led by the Suffolk Law Office of Admission. Veteran admission officers will lead interactive classes about law school applications, drafting your personal statement and addenda, and reviewing the applications of students. Students will also receive one-on-one application guidance from law school faculty and admission officers.
How to Apply
Application Requirements
This application should be done in one sitting and should take roughly 15 minutes to complete. You will need to upload the following documents as 5 separate PDFs at the end:
- A personal statement (no more than two pages double-spaced) that tells us why you're interested in becoming a lawyer
- Resume
- All higher education transcripts (can be unofficial)
- A writing sample that showcases your best writing skills (which may be a class assignment in which a grade of B or better was received)
- At least one letter of recommendation, but no more than three
The application allows only one PDF upload per document type. If you have multiple letters of recommendation or transcripts, please combine them into a single PDF for each document type. Ex. transcripts from Bookworm University and Music College should be uploaded as one PDF and letters of recommendation from Professor Bob Smith and from Professor Sally Jones should be uploaded as one PDF.
Questions?
Contact the Office of Law Admission by email with any additional questions.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Suffolk University Law School would like to thank the following Achievers sponsors without whose support the program would not be possible:
