Level’s Fellow Releases Report on Socioeconomic Equity in Law Schools
Level’s Social Justice Fellowship Program is a national initiative by Level Justice that supports law students in designing and executing research, policy, or advocacy projects focused on advancing social justice. As part of the 2024-2025 fellowship cohort, Shan Malhi has released his report, Supporting Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students in Ontario Law Schools.
Level’s Justice Fellows, February of 2025.
The report specifically examines the following research question: What measures are Ontario law schools adopting to support financially disadvantaged students, and to what extent do these measures relieve the cost of debt burdens that threaten socioeconomic diversity?
The report’s aim is to dismantle the financial barriers that stand between talented prospective law students and Ontario’s legal profession. The goal is two-fold: 1) to inform, and 2) to catalyze institutional innovation so law schools are able to commit to socioeconomic equity.
Level’s Justice Fellows, February of 2025.
As Malhi writes:
“In recent years, law schools across the province have adopted holistic admissions policies that weigh applicants’ economic backgrounds, family education history, and personal adversity alongside grades and LSAT scores. They have bolstered need-based bursaries and scholarships, introduced innovative funding models, and waived or reduced application and tuition fees for those who demonstrate genuine financial need.
Beyond admissions, faculties now offer free LSAT preparation, dedicated mentorship networks, and tailored academic supports - efforts designed to help first-generation and low-income students not only gain entry, but also thrive once they arrive.”
In the report, Malhi conducts an in-depth survey of each of Ontario’s common law faculty’s equity initiatives in order to provide law students and future applicants with support.
Journal of Law Student Scholarship 2023-2024.
You can read the full report here.