[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1395 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1395

     To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the 
 establishment of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity 
                                Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 6, 1997

 Mr. Sarbanes introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the 
 establishment of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity 
                                Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.

    Chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq.) is amended by 
inserting after section 402H of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070a-18) the 
following:

``SEC. 402I. LEGAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Authority.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
to be known as the `Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity 
Program' designed to provide low-income, minority, or disadvantaged 
college students with the information, preparation, and financial 
assistance to gain access to and complete law school study.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--A college student is eligible for assistance 
under this section if the student is--
            ``(1) from a low-income family;
            ``(2) a minority; or
            ``(3) from an economically or otherwise disadvantaged 
        background.
    ``(c) Contract or Grant Authorized.--The Secretary is authorized to 
enter into a contract with, or make a grant to, the Council on Legal 
Education Opportunity, for a period of not less than 5 years--
            ``(1) to identify college students who are from low-income 
        families, are minorities, or are from disadvantaged backgrounds 
        described in subsection (b)(3);
            ``(2) to prepare such students for study at accredited law 
        schools;
            ``(3) to assist such students to select the appropriate law 
        school, make application for entry into law school, and receive 
        financial assistance for such study;
            ``(4) to provide support services to such students who are 
        first-year law students to improve retention and success in law 
        school studies; and
            ``(5) to motivate and prepare such students with respect to 
        law school studies and practice in low-income communities.
    ``(d) Services Provided.--In carrying out the purposes described in 
subsection (c), the contract or grant shall provide for the delivery of 
services through prelaw information resource centers, summer 
institutes, midyear seminars, and other educational activities, 
conducted under this section. Such services may include--
            ``(1) information and counseling regarding--
                    ``(A) accredited law school academic programs, 
                especially tuition, fees, and admission requirements;
                    ``(B) course work offered and required for 
                graduation;
                    ``(C) faculty specialties and areas of legal 
                emphasis;
                    ``(D) undergraduate preparatory courses and 
                curriculum selection;
            ``(2) tutoring and academic counseling, including 
        assistance in preparing for bar examinations;
            ``(3) prelaw mentoring programs, involving law school 
        faculty, members of State and local bar associations, and 
        retired and sitting judges, justices, and magistrates;
            ``(4) assistance in identifying preparatory courses and 
        material for the law school aptitude or admissions tests;
            ``(5) summer institutes for Thurgood Marshall Fellows that 
        expose the Fellows to a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes 
        abstract thinking, legal analysis, research, writing, and 
        examination techniques; and
            ``(6) midyear seminars and other educational activities 
        that are designed to reinforce reading, writing, and studying 
        skills of Thurgood Marshall Fellows.
    ``(e) Duration of the Provision of Services.--The services 
described in subsection (d) may be provided--
            ``(1) prior to the period of law school study;
            ``(2) during the period of law school study; and
            ``(3) during the period following law school study and 
        prior to taking a bar examination.
    ``(f) Subcontracts and Subgrants.--For the purposes of planning, 
developing, or delivering one or more of the services described in 
subsection (d), the Council on Legal Education Opportunity shall enter 
into subcontracts with, and make subgrants to, institutions of higher 
education, law schools, public and private agencies and organizations, 
and combinations of such institutions, schools, agencies, and 
organizations.
    ``(g) Stipends.--The Secretary shall annually establish the maximum 
stipend to be paid (including allowances for participant travel and for 
the travel of the dependents of the participant) to Thurgood Marshall 
Fellows for the period of participation in summer institutes and 
midyear seminars. A Fellow may be eligible for such a stipend only if 
the Fellow maintains satisfactory academic progress toward the Juris 
Doctor or Bachelor of Laws degree, as determined by the respective 
institutions.
    ``(h) Maximum Level.--For any year for which an appropriation is 
made to carry out this chapter, the Secretary shall allocate not more 
than $5,000,000 for the purpose of providing the services described in 
subsection (d).''.
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