Mitchell Hamline School of Law will accept its first incarcerated student.
This will make the institution the first ABA-approved law school in the country to educate currently incarcerated individuals.
A statement from the school reads:
“Mitchell Hamline School of Law will welcome Maureen Onyelobi into its juris doctor program this fall, making Mitchell Hamline the first ABA-approved law school in the country to educate currently incarcerated individuals.”
It continues: “It’s a moment nearly three years in the making as part of a collective effort by the Prison to Law Pipeline, a program of All Square and its newly formed subsidiary, the Legal Revolution. The effort aims to transform the law through initiatives that center racial equity, wellness, and the expertise of those most impacted by the law.”
Onyelobi received her acceptance on June 9 from President and Dean Anthony Niedwiecki and John Goeppinger, director and co-founder of the Legal Revolution.
The Prison to Law Pipeline tries to provide civil legal services to those returning home from prison since 2018.
“Mitchell Hamline has a long history of looking for ways to expand the idea of who gets to go to law school,” said Dean Niedwiecki. “It’s important for people who are incarcerated to better understand the criminal justice system, and this is one important way to do that. Our students will also benefit from having Maureen in class with them.”
Onyelobi’s acceptance to law school was possible when The American Bar Association recently granted a variance to allow her to attend classes entirely online. Her tuition will be paid through private fundraising and the same scholarship assistance available to all Mitchell Hamline students. The school plans to accept more incarcerated students.
They are aiming for racial equity, wellness, and the expertise of those most impacted by the law,” according to school officials.
