AccessLex Funds Vermont Law’s Alternative Admissions Program Study

Event summary

  • AccessLex Institute awarded funding to Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) to study its Advanced Master of Legal Studies (AMLS) program, an alternative admissions pathway.
  • The AMLS program allows students who don’t qualify for J.D. admission to demonstrate law school readiness through tailored coursework and mentoring.
  • AccessLex and VLGS will assess the program’s effectiveness in expanding access to legal education and supporting student success.
  • The study is part of AccessLex’s Admission Innovation Project, launched in 2024 to evaluate novel admissions models that deemphasize standardized test scores.

The big picture

AccessLex’s funding of VLGS’s AMLS program study reflects a broader industry shift toward alternative admissions models that prioritize potential over traditional metrics. The collaboration aligns with AccessLex’s mission to expand access to legal education and its ongoing efforts to assess the impact of innovative admissions approaches. The study’s findings could influence how law schools nationwide evaluate and select students, potentially reshaping the legal education landscape.

What we're watching

Program Scalability
Whether the AMLS model can be replicated at other law schools to broaden access to legal education.
Admissions Trends
How deemphasizing standardized test scores in law school admissions impacts student access and academic performance.
Outcome Metrics
The pace at which AccessLex and VLGS can generate actionable insights to refine the AMLS program and inform inclusive opportunities in the legal profession.