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TESTIMONY OF DANIEL HALL BEFORE “Beyond Baccalaureate: Graduate Programs in the Higher Education Act” SEPTEMBER 9, 2003 CHAIRMAN HOEKSTRA AND RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER HINOJOSA, I AM DANIEL HALL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY. I AM PRIVILEGED TO HAVE BEEN A PARTICIPANT IN THE 1973 CLEO SUMMER INSTITUTE AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY AT INDIANAPOLIS (IUPUI) FOLLOWING GRADUATION FROM DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, IN JUNE 1973, AND PRIOR TO MY MATRICULATION AND GRADUATION FROM THE HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, IN JUNE 1976. MY CLEO EXPERIENCE NOT ONLY PREPARED ME FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT HARVARD, BUT ALSO LAID THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH A SOLID PROFESSIONAL CAREER HAS BEEN CREATED. IT IS THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE, WHICH THE THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM PROVIDES TODAY, WHICH WE ENCOURAGE THE CONGRESS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT. I APPEAR TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL ON LEGAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY (CLEO) WHICH ADMINISTERS THE THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM UNDER A CONTRACT WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THE THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM IS AUTHORIZED IN TITLE VII, PART A, SUBPART 3 OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965, AS AMENDED. I AM PLEASED TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE CLEO COUNCIL’S GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. OUR CLEO COUNCIL CHAIR, WILLIAM A. “BUD” BLAKEY IS WITH ME TODAY. WE WILL RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY TESTIMONY. MR. CHAIRMAN, I WANT THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR TODAY AND TO OFFER OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REAUTHORIZATION OF THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM WHICH FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS HAS MADE A CRITICAL CONTRIBUTION TO EXPANDING LEGAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND INCREASING DIVERSITY IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION. MY PREPARED STATEMENT PROVIDES THE COMMITTEE WITH A DETAILED RECITATION OF CLEO’S HISTORY, OF THE EMERGENCE OF THE THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM AS PART OF THE 1998 HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENTS, AND DOCUMENTATION OF THE NEED TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT WHICH IS GROWING A DIVERSE CADRE OF PERSONS PREPARING TO ENTER THE LEGAL PROFESSION. OUR REAUTHORIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS WILL CONTINUE THE PROGRESS ALREADY BEING MADE TO ACHIEVE THREE GOALS THROUGH THE THURGOOD MARSHALL PROGRAM: (1) IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME AND MINORITY STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY ENTERING AND COMPLETING AN ACCREDITED LEGAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND SECURING ADMISSION TO THE BAR; (2) DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING PRE-LAW PROGRAMS WHICH BUILD A PIPELINE OF QUALIFIED STUDENTS CAPABLE OF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING LAW SCHOOL; AND (3) REDUCING STUDENT DEBT BURDENS FOR THURGOOD MARSHALL FELLOWS BY PROVIDING GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE THEIR ENTRY INTO PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PRO BONO SERVICE FOLLOWING LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION. WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS IN TITLE VII, PART A, SUBPART 3;
WE ALSO HOPE THAT THE CONGRESS WILL CONSIDER TRANSFERRING THE THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM FROM TITLE VII TO TITLE IV OF THE ACT. THE COUNCIL BELIEVES THAT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL PROGRAM IS MORE CLOSELY AKIN TO THE FEDERAL TRIO PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THE RONALD McNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM AND THE GEAR-UP PROGRAM IN PURPOSE AND FUNCTION THAN THE TRADITIONAL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS IN TITLE VII. MR. CHAIRMAN, BUD BLAKEY AND I WOULD BE PLEASED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE MAY HAVE. |