Legal Education Opportunity Program

What Is LEOP?
Hastings created the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP) more than thirty years ago to help equalize opportunities in the law, recognizing that the traditional academic criteria used to determine admissions might not be the best indicators of academic potential for students from nontraditional backgrounds.

LEOP serves two purposes: It is an alternative means of evaluating an applicant's potential for the study of law, and it is an academic support program committed to the success of LEOP students in law school and in the legal profession.

What Does LEOP Offer?
In Hastings' highly competitive legal program, LEOP fosters academic excellence by establishing a cooperative learning environment through skills-based workshops, weekly small group sessions, one-on-one tutoring, academic counseling, and a study aids library.

Who Are LEOP Students?
Students admitted through LEOP are those deemed to have the abilities and motivation to succeed in law school, with the assistance provided through the program. LEOP students have overcome significant obstacles - educational, economic, social, or physical - that have restricted their access to traditional academic opportunities and resources generally considered an indicator of a successful law school career. Approximately twenty percent of each Hastings entering class is comprised of LEOP students.

A Sense of Community
Common to all LEOP students is a sense of community that begins to take shape at LEOP orientation - the very beginning of their studies at Hastings. A diverse, talented group of people, they share in the analysis and application of the law to society and its problems. In the law school environment, they depend on each other for insight, dialogue, perspective, and support.

LEOP Admissions
In addition to completing the general application for admission, LEOP candidates must include detailed information about the adversity they faced - which may be geographic, linguistic, or social in nature - and its impact on their academic preparation. Applicants are also encouraged to provide specific information about the efforts they have made to meet and/or overcome these challenges. This information may be presented as part of the applicant's personal statement or it may be provided in a supplemental essay.

Applications are processed by the Admissions Office and reviewed by the LEOP Admissions Committee.

LEOP Orientation
LEOP conducts a mandatory orientation prior to the beginning of classes. The program is an intense, weeklong experience introducing students to legal analysis. Participation is a condition of enrollment at Hastings.

Programs for First-Year LEOP Students
Students are provided seven to ten hours a week of the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP) activities, including four hours for small group sessions, three hours for Saturday simulated exams, and the remaining time for LEOP special workshops and teaching assistant office hours. This time is in addition to regular class and study time. Please follow the links on the left menu to see program details.

Small Group Sessions
Beginning the fourth week of each semester, small weekly Group Sessions are held. The goal of these sessions is to develop students' independent learning strategies using a skills-based approach. Students use the substantive law learned in class to develop problem-solving techniques. Sessions are held for all first-year classes, but they are not a review of the classes. Sessions are led by second and third year student teaching assistants who receive extensive training from the LEOP staff. Bi-weekly training and reading assignments provide the teaching assistants with a variety of teaching methods designed to reach all learning styles.

Practice Exams
Eight Saturdays in each semester LEOP students are offered simulated exam workshops. During these workshops, students write four practice exams and receive written evaluations of their knowledge and exam-taking techniques.

Academic Workshops
LEOP also offers individual tutoring and academic counseling. Workshops on outlining, examination strategies, legal writing, and legal analysis also are held throughout the year.

Programs for Second and Third Year LEOP Students
Small group sessions are conducted in some second-year courses. Each session uses problem solving as the means for reviewing substantive law and legal analysis.

For its graduating students, LEOP offers a supplemental bar review course, Bar None. The program emphasizes study techniques and exam-taking skills and practice, and provides constructive feedback.

LEOP Resources and Library
The LEOP Academic Resources Center, located on the fourth floor of the newly renovated Snodgrass Hall at 198 McAllister Street, includes conference rooms for small group sessions and student meetings, a lounge/study area, and a kitchenette. The LEOP suite also houses a lending library of textbooks, study aids (flash cards, audio tapes, flash cards on disk, and video tapes), practice exams and sample answers, and student outlines.

Apply to LEOP