Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP) Founder Cindy Lopez on Admissions, Mentorship, & Diversity

<p>In this episode of <em>Status Check with Spivey</em>, Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP) Founder &amp; CEO, Cindy Lopez, joins us for a conversation with Paula Gluzman, Spivey’s Director of Diversity &amp; Inclusion and a J.D. Admissions Consultant. Cindy is a retired career Deputy Attorney General for the State of California, served as Board President of a college access nonprofit for underserved young women, and founded LEAP in 2019. Paula is a former admissions officer at UCLA Law and the University of Washington Law, a former attorney, former law school career services professional, and has been an integral advisor for LEAP since its inception.</p><p>Cindy and Paula discuss LEAP, what it offers, and how it originated (2:35); Cindy’s story from applying to law school without help to a career as a California Deputy Attorney General to founding LEAP (12:59); advice for how to find a mentor (17:13), Cindy’s top three tips for how to be a good mentee (19:37), and the one question Paula always tells people to ask their mentors (21:15); how Cindy has seen admissions change in the wake of the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard (22:42); the funding challenges that LEAP is facing under the new administration in a changing political climate (28:40); what gives Cindy hope in a time when diversity efforts in higher education are under attack (30:50); Cindy’s best advice for prospective law students today (35:00); and the importance of having fun and celebrating your wins (37:18).</p><p>You can find more information about LEAP, including eligibility criteria, application information, and volunteer opportunities, <a href="https://www.legalpipeline.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p>You can listen and subscribe to <em>Status Check with Spivey</em> on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/status-check-with-spivey/id1477090223" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1axZqBvq28wpvhKEq2l7sV" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠</a>, and<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA_Rbmm6gSV09dUwrnlBjyQ/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠</a>. You can read a full transcript of this episode with timestamps <a href="https://www.spiveyconsulting.com/podcasts/legal-education-access-pipeline-leap-founder-cindy-lopez-on-admissions-mentorship-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">here</a>.</p>