AccessLex Institute Issues Five Year Grant to Seattle University School of Law

WEST CHESTER, Pa., Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AccessLex Institute^®is pleased to announce a new partnership with Seattle University School of Law to develop a groundbreaking pipeline-to-licensure program. Through a five year Directed Grant from AccessLex, Seattle University School of Law (Seattle U Law) will launch the Central Washington Hybrid Hub Pipeline Initiative to attract, inspire, and support promising law students in Central Washington, the site of one of the nation's largest "legal deserts" – where there is a burgeoning unmet demand for legal services, a severe shortage of lawyers, and no brick-and-mortar law school. This one-of-a-kind partnership will also provide academic support and bar success resources and services to all Seattle University School of Law students, no matter their location.

Working out of Heritage University on the Yakama Nation Reservation, the Central Washington Hybrid Hub Pipeline Initiative will provide prospective students residing in Central Washington mentorship, admissions and financial guidance, LSAT preparation, and professional-identity formation activities, with the subsequent goals of increasing access to justice in the Central Washington legal desert and greatly enhancing the diversity of the legal profession.

The Seattle University School of Law Hybrid Hub Initiative, with hubs in Central Washington, Alaska, and the South Puget Sound region, enables students in legal desert areas to access a high-quality legal education through Seattle University School of Law's leading Flex J.D. Program and partnerships with hub-based universities. Students associated with Seattle U Law Hybrid Hubs are able to complete their legal studies and access physical resources, support, experiential learning opportunities, and academic culture, all without needing to relocate away from their communities.

"This first of its kind collaboration with Seattle U Law embodies the AccessLex Institute commitment to supporting aspiring lawyers across the full spectrum from admission to law school to admission to practice," stated Christopher P. Chapman, President and CEO of AccessLex Institute. "And it further highlights our shared commitment with Seattle U Law to increase access to legal education for historically underrepresented communities."

"Seattle University School of Law has always been guided by a mission of promoting access to justice and making legal education and the profession itself more accessible to underrepresented and underserved communities," said Anthony E. Varona, Dean of Seattle University School of Law. "Through this partnership with AccessLex Institute, we are extending that mission to reach aspiring lawyers in communities historically excluded from legal services, legal education, and our profession. By bringing legal education directly to where these students live and serve, we are helping to ensure that the future of our profession reflects the full diversity and strength of the communities we are ethically bound to serve."

AccessLex Institute's invitation-only Directed Grant Program is one of five grant programs, through which AccessLex has awarded over $26.4 million since inception to support empirical research and novel initiatives impacting issues of access, affordability, and value of legal education.

A key component of this partnership will bring Helix Bar Review by AccessLex^® directly into the Seattle U Law curriculum, giving every J.D. student access to exceptional, results-oriented bar preparation. By connecting innovative academic success resources during law school with exceptional comprehensive post-grad bar exam support, this initiative is designed to help graduates pass the bar on their first attempt. In addition, as part of this agreement, all Hybrid Hub students at Seattle U Law will receive comprehensive services and courses at no cost through a donated extension of the program.

Combining the expertise, resources, and commitment of AccessLex, Helix Bar Review, and Seattle U Law will embolden aspiring lawyers with greater access to legal education and impactful opportunities to serve their localities.

About AccessLex Institute® and Helix Bar Review by AccessLex^®:    
AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the Company's mission since 1983. Learn more about how AccessLex is empowering the next generation of lawyers at AccessLex.org. An affiliate organization of AccessLex, Helix Bar Review by AccessLex delivers the highest quality content, leverages modern technology, and applies cutting-edge learning methodologies and instructional design informed by the latest research to provide students and law schools with best-in-class bar review resources at a no-profit price. Visit HelixBarReview.org.

About Seattle University School of Law:

Founded in 1972, Seattle University School of Law offers nationally ranked J.D., M.L.S., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in the heart of Seattle. Students benefit from renowned faculty, top-ranked legal writing and clinical/experiential programs, innovative technology, international, and business law programs, and one of the richest curricula in the nation. Seattle U Law – the most diverse law school in the Pacific Northwest – leads the way in flexible legal education for working professionals with the only part-time, hybrid online J.D. program in Washington state and hybrid hubs in Central Washington, South Sound, and Anchorage, Alaska. Seattle U Law graduates are leaders and lawyers with the practical skills, knowledge, and drive to make a real difference for their clients and communities. The school is committed to educating ethical lawyers and leaders who advance justice, with programs emphasizing academic excellence, inclusion, and service to others. More information about Seattle University School of Law can be found on their website at Law.SeattleU.edu.

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SOURCE AccessLex Institute