Project Leadership, Achievement, and Work (Project LAW) is a free, 10-week pre-law program for underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in law school and careers in the legal field.
Funded by the New York State Education Department’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and renewed through 2030, Project LAW provides structured, online instruction focused on academic enrichment and professional development.
Contact
CSTEP@slu.cuny.edu
Applications for Fall 2025 are now closed.
Information Session
Information sessions are scheduled throughout the year, register for an information session. If no sessions are currently scheduled, you can submit the “Request an Info Session” form to be invited to sign up when the next sessions are scheduled.
Project LAW - Program Structure and Benefits
Students accepted into the program will participate in Part I in Fall or Spring.
Part I Participants receive:
- Two non-credit online courses
- Law Literacy, which introduces core concepts from a first-year law school curriculum
- LSAT Methods, which provides an overview of the LSAT and basic test-taking strategies
- Mentoring and writing support
- Guidance on law school admissions
- Law career exploration
- An opportunity to develop and participate in a Service-Learning Project
Students who complete Part I earn:
- A Credly digital badge – shareable credentials that recognize your skills and achievements. These badges can be added to your résumé, LinkedIn profile, or digital portfolio to showcase your participation in Project LAW.
- A monetary stipend to assist with LSAT test & law school application costs
Students who complete Part I of the program in Fall or Spring will also receive an invitation to participate in Part II of the program in Summer. Part II of the program is designed to build upon the legal reading and writing skills learned in Part I with a deeper dive into legal research and LSAT prep. Students who complete Part II of the program will be better prepared to apply to law school, with stronger research and reasoning skills, a clearer understanding of the admissions process, and continued support from the Project LAW community.
Summer Part II Participants receive:
- A non-credit Legal Research course, in which Participants learn core legal research skills and complete a brief, faculty-guided research project
- Kaplan LSAT Prep Live course, with flexible scheduling options
- Continued support for law career exploration and law school applications
All program activities are subject to changes or cancellation due to available funding. Stipends are not guaranteed. If stipends are issued, participants MUST complete the required payment paperwork in order to claim one.
Eligibility
All applicants must be:
- New York State residents for at least 12 months
- Currently enrolled in a NYS registered undergraduate or graduate degree program
- A member of an underrepresented group, either African-American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Alaskan native, OR Economically disadvantaged (see NYS chart for income criteria).
These are requirements of the funding as mandated by the NYS Education Department and cannot be waived by us.
Academic Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate:
- A realistic path to law school admission and the academic potential to succeed in law school.
- A genuine interest in pursuing a career in public service or public interest law
Minimum academic standing:
- Undergraduate students: 60+ earned credits, minimum GPA of 3.0
- Graduate students: Minimum GPA of 3.0
Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA criteria may still be considered if they can demonstrate strong potential for academic success, commitment to the field, and a compelling interest in public service law. We encourage students in this situation to provide a brief explanation in their application.
Testimonials
Our Professors
Asima Chaudhary, Esq.
Asima Chaudhary is a skills instructor at the CUNY School of Law where she provides academic skill support for students in their first year of law school. She also coordinates and teaches the Summer Law Institute for incoming law school students. Prior to joining CUNY School of Law, Asima was a Legal Policy Fellow with the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Office of the Chair. In addition to handling Source of Income discrimination complaints, she researched legal issues pertaining to discrimination in housing, education and policing in New York City. Read More
Ellen Dichner
Ellen Dichner is a Distinguished Lecturer in Labor Studies at CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. She has practiced labor and employment law for more than 25 years. From 2013 to 2018, she served as Chief Counsel to former Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. Before her appointment at the NLRB, Ellen was a partner at Gladstein, Reif & Meginniss, LLP, where she handled a wide range of matters on behalf of union clients, including collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, union organizing campaigns, litigation in federal and state courts as well as in proceedings before administrative agencies, such as the NLRB and the New York Public Employment Relations Board. Read More
Carolyn Nelson
Carolyn Nelson is the founder and President of Nelson Test Prep, which focuses primarily on providing affordable LSAT instruction to those who traditionally underperform on the LSAT. Carolyn started her LSAT instruction career almost 20 years ago at Princeton Review and has subsequently taught LSAT courses for New York University (NYU) and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF), both while still practicing as a New Jersey commercial litigator. Carolyn has provided LSAT instruction and consulting services to many New York based Pipeline and PreLaw programs including: The Pre Law Institute at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Fried Frank Pre-Law Scholars Program; LAWbound; Skadden, Arps Honors Program in Legal Studies and the Ronald H. Brown Summer Law School Prep Program. Read More
Aleka Asamoah
After law school, Aleka Asamoah served as a Poverty Justice Fellow and pro bono attorney, providing holistic representation to New Yorkers facing criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.
During that time, she enjoyed interacting with the public by leading community outreach clinics, workshops, and various “Know-Your-Rights” training.
She now practices intellectual property law, serves as an Administrator Law Judge, and teaches an immersive pre-law program and first-year Lawyering Seminar at the CUNY School of Law.
The CSTEP Project L.A.W. Administrative Team
- Elizabeth Sergile, Program Director
- Christina Johnson, Associate Director
- Krafins Valcin, Academic Technologist
- Xalya Branch, Events Coordinator
- Przemyslaw Bielawski, Web & Graphic Design Associate
Applications for Fall 2025 are now open!
- The Fall 2025 Program Schedule is here.
- Sign up for an information session by Thursday, August 14, 2025
- Submit your application by Sunday, August 24, 2025
- Applicants will be notified of decisions between August 25, 2025 and August 28, 2025