Our Committed Volunteers
The MLER Bar Exam Preparation Program has been supported exclusively through volunteer efforts a fact which distinguishes our organization from other Bar programs. The devotion of our volunteers has been key in MLER’ s success and longevity. Our tutors and board members are largely minority attorneys in private, government and corporate practice. All tutors are licensed attorneys in good standing in the State of Illinois.
Most of our volunteers come from the ranks of those who have participated in our Bar Preparation Program, and they are keenly aware of many of the issues students face in preparing for the Illinois Bar Exam. By pooling our collective knowledge, students have access to a variety of approaches that will increase their likelihood of success on the bar exam.
P.O.Box 804566
Chicago, IL 60680-4566
Our History
MLER was founded in the early 1970s by Ronald E. Kennedy, an Associate at Sidley & Austin, after he became aware of the low passage rate of African-Americans taking the Illinois Bar Examination. With the assistance of other professionals and students, Kennedy began to compile statistics on the passage rates; the statistics showed that the passage rate for African Americans since 1970 was 30% - 35% compared to the 75% - 85% for the general population. Kennedy suspected that the statistics were similar for Latino candidates.
In 1974, Kennedy joined the faculty of the Northwestern University Law School. In an effort to improve bar passage rates among minorities, Kennedy created a supplemental bar review program. Kennedy began to tutor minority graduates of Northwestern Law School in his home on an individual basis. He focused on writing, managing time, perfecting study habits, and coping with the stress inherent in preparing for a two-day examination .
In the summer of 1975, Ann Williams, now a United States Appellate Court Judge for the 7th Circuit, learned of Professor Kennedy’s success and tried to join his program, but was told that the program was limited to Northwestern graduates. Williams, interested in expanding the program, met with Northwestern graduates and Professor Kennedy to discuss expanding the program to include graduates from other schools.
The “Kennedy Program” was initiated in Chicago in the summer of 1975, and was opened to law graduates from other institutions. In the summer of 1977, the program was substantially expanded with the help of generous financial contributions from the Cook County Bar Foundation and several individuals.
In the summer of 1977, the Program was conducted by a newly formed, not-for-profit corporation called Minority Legal Educational Resources (“MLER”). Of the twenty-nine law graduates completing the summer of 1977 MLER Program, twenty-three passed the July Illinois Bar Examination; this produced a passage rate of 79.3 percent.
Based on the success of the Program in 1977, MLER decided to expand in the summer of 1978. With the support of Northwestern University, Richard Conviser, and financial contributions from several individuals, MLER was able to accommodate all minority law school graduates taking the Illinois Bar Examination. Whether a first-time test taker or a repeat student, MLER was prepared with resources to accomodate those interested in utilizing its services.