N.C. A&T, Wake Forest Law Partner to Create Pathway to Juris Doctor

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 17, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Wake Forest University School of Law have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a pathway for highly accomplished N.C. A&T students to matriculate into the Wake Forest University School of Law full-time residential J.D. program.

The inaugural cohort of two A&T students – a current senior and an alumnus – have been selected and will enroll at Wake Forest Law in fall 2025.

A&T will identify two promising candidates by Feb. 1 each year for subsequent fall admission to the J.D. program at Wake Forest Law. Candidates can be current A&T seniors or alumni, but they must have at least a 156 score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and a minimum cumulative 3.50 undergraduate G.P.A. as calculated by the Law School Admission Council. They also must have good character and fitness to study and practice law, as determined by Wake Forest Law.

Candidates admitted through the partnership are awarded a minimum $35,000 per year scholarship. This program does not preclude other A&T students from applying and being accepted to Wake Forest Law.

“We are proud to partner with Wake Law to establish a direct pathway for select A&T students to matriculate at its prestigious law school,” said C. Dinitra White, Ph.D., Pre-Professional Scholars Program director and associate professor of biology. “We want to increase awareness of the law profession, help remove barriers for students interested in pursuing a law career and help produce a more robust pathway into the profession. Further, strengthening our relationships with our partner institutions brings together exceptional expertise that benefits everyone.”  

The A&T/Wake Forest Law partnership aims to prepare high-achieving scholars and legal professionals who are engaged in innovative solutions and committed to the cause of justice. The universities intend to create a richly diverse, equitable and inclusive community where students further develop respect for the law, a devotion to service and a commitment to professional values. Graduates will be equipped to manage and create change in increasingly complex environments, communicate across differences, and bring about lasting, meaningful solutions supported by the rule of law. The ultimate goal is to have a positive impact at local, state, national and global levels.

“Wake Forest Law is committed to broadening access to legal education to cultivate ‘citizen-lawyers’ — those who are dedicated to serving their communities. Our new partnership with N.C. A&T, a renowned institution which prides itself on educating leaders with integrity, aligns perfectly with this vision,” said Andrew R. Klein, J.D., dean and Suzanne Reynolds Distinguished Chair in Law at Wake Forest Law. “By combining our strengths, we are set to enhance educational opportunities and empower a new generation of legal professionals equipped to lead and innovate.”

The A&T/Wake Forest Law pathway program is among those offered by A&T’s Pre-Professional Scholars Program (PPSP), a comprehensive, institutionally supported program established in 2009 that supports educational and professional development of undergraduate and graduate students interested in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law and research. Increasing students’ exposure to these professions is a PPSP priority focused on strengthening existing relationships with professional and graduate degree-granting institutions, supporting professional student organizations, identifying local professionals to serve as mentors and resources, and forming novel relationships with various universities and community partners.

In addition to providing select, high-achieving students a direct pathway into graduate and professional schools, these partnerships provide opportunities for cross-campus collaborations, potential partnerships for research funding, wider exposure for students and faculty to other campuses and their offerings, and opportunities to collaborate on advancing student success. Since its inception, approximately 50 students from the Early Assurance Scholars premedical program and Accelerated Pathway to Law School prelaw programs have been admitted to graduate and professional schools through the PPSP. 

The MOU with Wake Forest Law is the third such partnership between A&T and other J.D. programs across the state. The university has accelerated pathway partnerships with Greensboro-based Elon Law and Durham-based North Carolina Central University School of Law.