‘Expanding the Circle’: How Georgetown Law’s Early Outreach Initiative Inspires the Next Generation of Lawyers

Cornblatt visited Davis’s school as part of the Law Center’s Early Outreach Initiative, which aims to increase diversity among law school applicants through outreach to high school students in underserved communities across the country.

“The Early Outreach program planted a seed in my mind,” says Davis of the first-of-its-kind initiative. Since its inception in 2018, the program has reached more than 3,500 students in partnership with more than 80 schools and educational organizations. The goal, says Cornblatt, is simple: get law school on the radar of high schoolers who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to the legal profession through a series of in-person and virtual visits, including guidance from current Law Center students and alumni mentors.

In Davis’s case, the seeds planted by the program led him to Georgetown University, where he graduated with a dual degree in business and global affairs in May, and then to Georgetown Law, where he looks forward to exploring public interest law as part of the dual Master in Public Policy and J.D. program offered jointly by the Law Center and McCourt School of Public Policy.

“Nobody in my immediate community even finished undergrad, let alone thought about going to law school and practicing law,” he says. “But what I heard in the conversations with Dean Andy struck a chord with me about the broader implications of law.”

Expanding the applicant circle

Cornblatt was inspired to develop the program because of a single, powerful data point: according to a 2017 survey from the American Association of Law Schools, more than half of law students first considered law school before they reached college. But potential applicants such as first-generation college students may not be exposed to the idea of law school in their communities, or might lack the resources to navigate the application process.

“The legal profession needs more diversity in it, which means the applicant pool needs more diversity,” he says. “I’m hoping this program will bring into the applicant pool, and then into the legal community, highly qualified people who otherwise wouldn’t come. We’re interested in expanding the circle.”

To that end, the Early Outreach Initiative partners with upwards of 30 schools and educational organizations each year to carry out the program’s four phases, which start with a visit from Cornblatt and student volunteers to discuss the law school experience, followed by an alumni visit aimed at demystifying the legal profession. For schools within driving distance, the next step is a visit to Georgetown Law for a firsthand look at campus life. Finally, graduating seniors are paired with attorney mentors for ongoing guidance about pursuing law school and a legal career.

The program’s phased approach, Cornblatt says, is key to its success, since a single visit is unlikely to make a lasting impression. “This is about going to these kids and saying, ‘You can do this — and we’re going to help you do this’,” he says. “We don’t just parachute in and parachute out.”

Cornblatt also emphasizes the role that a network of supporters — including high-school staff, student volunteers, alumni mentors and donors — plays in bringing the program to life. One longtime supporter is journalist and MSNBC Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, C’89. She first learned about the program through her friendship with Cornblatt, who personally introduced her to its mission and impact.

“Now, more than ever, law schools must have a vibrant, gifted and diverse student body,” Brzezinski says. “Georgetown Law has remained on the cutting edge by attracting the most dynamic community of graduates year in and year out, thanks to Dean Andy and the Early Outreach program.”

Building confidence in the classroom

On an overcast morning this February, Cornblatt was joined by student volunteers Heaven Johnson-Branch, L’24, and Warren Geary, L’24 to address some 30 enthusiastic high schoolers at William Cullen Bryant High School in Queens, New York.

After an introduction by Cornblatt, Johnson-Branch and Geary shared their personal paths to law school — both are first-generation college and law school graduates — and candidly answered student questions on topics ranging from career opportunities to extracurricular activities to managing stress.

“Going to law school is like learning a new language,” Johnson-Branch told the group. “It can be difficult to step into that. The biggest adjustment I had to make in law school is realizing that you have to run your own race. Don’t be discouraged by comparing yourself to others. You have your own path, and that’s what should propel you forward.”

For Senior Class President Sean McNally, who hopes to be the first person in his family to attend college, the visit provided both a morale boost and practical guidance. “I realized that you don’t have to have prior knowledge of the law to go to law school,” he said. “It gave me confidence.”

His classmate Leysy Yaguana agreed. “It was very comforting,” she said, noting that Johnson-Branch and Geary helped reassure her that law students can balance their academic and personal commitments. “I’ve always loved law. The fact that you guys come out of your way to come and help us and guide us … I’m grateful for it.”

A ‘no filters’ campus visit

Two months after the visit to their school, McNally and Yaguana were among the approximately 120 students who arrived at the Law Center’s downtown campus from New York, Delaware and nearby D.C. high schools. The April day of enrichment and experiential learning included a campus tour and presentations from faculty and current students — plus ample pizza and brownies for lunch.

“It really opens your eyes up to things you couldn’t have seen before, especially speaking to [the professors],” said Bryant High junior Andrew Cheung, an avid mock trial participant who, along with several classmates, peppered Professor Kristin Henning and Associate Professor Eduardo Ferrer with questions following a presentation about their work with the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative.

Fellow Bryant High mock trial competitor and aspiring political science major Darien Contreras said the day offered a “no filters” look at law school. The visit also marked his first-ever trip to the nation’s capital. “There’s not many schools that get this opportunity,” he said. “The main political world of Washington, D.C., it’s literally right here.”

Continuing to offer such opportunities is a top priority for Cornblatt and his team, who are currently working to expand the program’s reach by partnering with other law schools to set up similar campus visits across the country. That’s in addition to the 40 high school visits in 20 states planned for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.

“The Early Outreach Initiative powerfully embodies Georgetown Law’s missions of service and access,” says Dean William M. Treanor. “We are proud to be at the leading edge of efforts to open the door to law school and the legal profession for students from underserved communities.”

“The hope is that the more we do this and the more present we are, the more of these kids will come join the law profession,” Cornblatt says. “Not just at Georgetown, but everywhere.”

To learn more about the Early Outreach Initiative and hear from student participants, watch the video below: