Spivey Consulting Group 2026-2027 Pro Bono Program: Announcement & Application

Please note: The deadline to apply to the Spivey Consulting Group 2025-2026 Pro Bono Program is Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST. Apply here.

Spivey Consulting Group firmly supports equitable access and diverse representation in legal education, and in 2026, this responsibility is more important than ever. Our annual Pro Bono Program—along with our other pro bono work throughout the year, our ongoing partnerships with pipeline programs, and our commitment to providing the best free law school admissions content, advice, and resources available—stems from this core value.

As a part of this ongoing commitment, we are excited to announce the sixth year of our annual Spivey Consulting Group Pro Bono Program for the 2026-2027 law school admissions cycle! This program provides law school admissions consulting services, completely free of charge, to a limited number of selected applicants from low-income, disadvantaged, marginalized, underrepresented, and/or diverse backgrounds.

This year, we are pleased to announce that we have capacity for 94 Pro Bono Program recipients: 34 One-School Application Packages and 60 hourly advising sessions.

What services are provided to selected Pro Bono Program recipients?

For the 2026-2027 application cycle, 34 selected applicants will receive a free One-School Application Package, through which they will be matched with a Spivey consultant for comprehensive, one-on-one assistance with one full law school application. The following services are included for your selected law school:

• Comprehensive admissions advising up through submission of your law school application
• Strategic assessment of strengths and opportunities to create an individualized plan to maximize your admissions chances
• Comprehensive review and editing for every aspect of your application
• Resumé feedback, review, and editing
• Personal statement idea generation, feedback, review, and editing
• Strategy, proofreading, and review for supplemental essays
• Assistance with letters of recommendation (who you should ask and what they should say)
• Help with addenda as applicable, including GPA, LSAT, and character and fitness explanations
• Assistance with video essays, if applicable
• Preparation for law school visits, information sessions, and meetings with admissions officers
• Assistance with email correspondence with the law school
• Admissions interview guidance and preparation
• Final review of full application preview

We will also be offering 60 selected applicants one hour of strategic law school admissions advising. This hour may be broken up into multiple consulting sessions and may be used to discuss any topic related to law school admissions, including overall strategy and messaging, personal statement brainstorming and topic selection, and answering your questions about the application process.

Who is eligible to apply to the Pro Bono Program, and what are the selection criteria?

Applicants who fulfill both of these requirements are eligible to apply:

• Fully committed to applying to law school for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle and matriculating to law school in fall 2027
• Come from a low-income, disadvantaged, marginalized, underrepresented, and/or diverse background

Please note that we accept applicants from a diverse array of backgrounds, perspectives, and goals. No applicants are ineligible due to identity, background, numerical qualifications, or target law schools.

International students are encouraged to apply.

Selections are made based on the following criteria:

• Does the applicant have significant financial need such that they would be unable to access Spivey Consulting Group’s services without the Pro Bono Program?
• How would the applicant’s perspective coming from a low-income, disadvantaged, marginalized, underrepresented, and/or diverse background contribute to the diversity of the legal profession?
• How well does the application reflect the applicant’s purpose, thoughtfulness, and commitment to the admissions process/working with their consultant?
• How significant an impact could Spivey Consulting Group’s services make on the applicant’s ability to reach their stated goals?

We do not evaluate applicants based on the relative competitiveness of their law school profiles.

Please note that there is a preference for applicants who already have one or more LSAT scores on file. However, we do understand that every applicant is on a different timeline, and please note that applicants who do not have LSAT scores on file are selected for the program every year.

If you are taking the June LSAT, please either wait to submit your application until score release, or edit your application and add your score using the link in your submission confirmation email. 

What is the timeline for the 2025-2026 Pro Bono Program?

• Application Opens: Thursday, May 21, 2026
• Deadline: Thursday, June 25, 2026 (11:59 PM PST)
  
  • No applications will be read prior to the deadline, and there is no preference for earlier submissions.
  • If you are taking the June LSAT, please either wait to submit your application until score release, or edit your application and add your score using the link in your submission confirmation email.
• Decision Notifications: Tuesday, July 14 through Monday, July 20, 2026

Pro Bono Program Application

To apply, please fill out the application here. You can preview the application questions, short answers, and attachments below.

Note: applicants who are currently waiting for paid services with us are more than welcome to apply if eligible.

Application Preview

Contact Information:

• Full Name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Current Location (City, State, and Country if outside of the U.S.)

Applicant Profile:

• Undergraduate Institution
• Undergraduate Major(s)
• Undergraduate Graduation Year
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA (LSAC GPA, if known)
• Have you taken the LSAT?
• If you have taken the LSAT, what is your current highest LSAT score?
• If you are planning to take the LSAT in the future, what are your target test date(s)?
• If you are planning to take the LSAT in the future, please (1) describe your test preparation plan and (2) provide your current range/average of timed practice test scores, if applicable. Please limit your response to 100 words.
• Are you planning to submit the GRE to law schools?
• If you have taken the GRE and intend to submit your scores to law schools, please list your highest GRE scores (including verbal, quantitative, and writing).
• If you are planning to take the GRE in the future and intend to submit your scores to law schools, please (1) describe your test preparation plan and (2) provide your current range/average of timed practice test scores, if applicable. Please limit your response to 100 words.
• If you are not planning to take the LSAT or GRE, please briefly describe your alternative plans.

Additional Application Information:

• Have you applied to law school before?
• If you have applied to law school before, in which cycle(s) did you apply?
  
  • If you have applied to law school before, please list the schools to which you applied and the decisions you received.
• Have you ever attended any law school?
  
  • If you have attended law school in the past, please list the institution, years attended, and a brief description of why you did not complete law school at that time.
• Are you aware of any Character & Fitness (C&F) issues that you may have to report on your law school applications (including criminal arrests or convictions, academic disciplinary actions, and formal professional misconduct/citation)?
  
  • If you are aware of any Character & Fitness (C&F) issues that you may have to report on your law school applications, please include a basic summary of the C&F issue(s).
• Have you ever taken a leave of absence from school or work?
  
  • If you have taken a leave of absence from school or work, for how long, and what was the general reason for the absence?
• Please list the law schools to which you currently plan to apply. If you do not yet have a test score or are otherwise not sure of your school list, please indicate that this is the case and include a general idea of what sorts of law schools you are hoping to target. E.g., “I will decide on a full list of schools once I get my August LSAT score, but I am hoping to mainly target schools in my home state of _______.”
• Ensuring success in the application process requires applying to a balanced list of “reaches,” “targets,” and “safeties.” How open are you to expanding your school list if advised?
• Please briefly share why you are interested in the legal profession. Please note that we are not requesting an essay here, but rather a short and directed declaration of your purpose.

Biographical & Demographic Information:

• Are or were you a first-generation college student? A first-generation college student is defined here as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor's degree at a four-year college/university.
• Will you be a first-generation law student? A first-generation law student is defined here as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a JD degree or equivalent.
• Are or were you a Pell Grant recipient?
• Do you identify as having grown up in a low-income household? Note: There will be an opportunity to expand on this question in a later short answer.
• What are/were the primary occupation(s) of your parent(s) or guardian(s) during their working years?
• What was the approximate total income of your parent(s) or guardian(s) in 2025? Options: Under $29,000, $30,000-$50,000, $60,000-$89,000, $$90,000-$119,000, $120,000-$199,000, $200,000 or more, I do not have contact with any of my parent(s) or guardian(s).
• What was your approximate total income in 2025? Options: Under $19,000, $20,000-$29,000, $30,000-$59,000, $60,000-$89,000, $90,000-$119,000, $120,000-$199,000, $200,000 or more.
• Did your immediate family receive public assistance, welfare, or SNAP benefits during your pre-college years?
• If there are any additional factors currently impacting your financial need (e.g., family obligations, debt, recent loss of income), please briefly describe. Please limit your response to 100 words.
• If applicable, please list any other current or past pre-law fellowships or pipeline programs in which you have participated (e.g., SEO, UCLA Law Fellows, POSSE, LEAP, Munger Tolles).

Programmatic Questions:

• Have you applied to the Spivey Consulting Pro Bono Program in the past?
• If you have applied to the Spivey Consulting Pro Bono Program in the past, please list the year(s) when you applied and whether you were selected to receive pro bono services.
• Have you corresponded or met with a Spivey consultant in the past? If so, please list their name here.
• If you are not selected to receive the One-School Application Package, would you like to be considered for hourly advising? Your answer to this question will not impact your candidacy for the One-School Application Package.
• How did you hear about the Spivey Consulting Pro Bono Program?

Short Answers:

• Please describe how you have been impacted by coming from a low-income, disadvantaged, marginalized, underrepresented, and/or diverse background. Please limit your response to approximately 250-500 words.
• Please explain why you would like to be considered for the Pro Bono Program and how you feel this opportunity could help you. Please limit your response to approximately 250-500 words.

Additional Documents:

We will never share the documents you attach with anyone outside of the Spivey Consulting Group.

• Required: Resume
• Optional: Proof of Significant Financial Need (e.g., FAFSA Student Aid Report, tax/income documents). Please redact social security numbers and any other sensitive personal information if possible. Any submitted documents should include your full name for verification purposes. If you have received an LSAC fee waiver, please include a copy here.

Acknowledgement:

• By submitting this application for the Spivey Consulting Pro Bono Program, I certify that all information I have submitted in this application and in any supporting documents is complete and true. I agree to promptly notify Spivey Consulting Group at info@spiveyconsulting.com if there are any changes to the information I have provided in this application. I understand that providing false or misleading information or failing to provide updated information may result in withdrawal from the program.

What do past recipients have to say about the Spivey Consulting Pro Bono Program?

“I'm grateful for Spivey’s pro bono services and proud to have made it this far! A huge part of my success can be attributed to your review of and suggestions for my law school application. Not to mention the incredible, practical advice you've provided. Once more, thank you so much for your kindness and support on my law school journey, it truly set me on the best possible path.” –H.H.

“I strongly encourage all students to consider applying for Spivey Consulting Group’s Pro Bono Program, which offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with consultants who dedicate their time, effort, and expertise to helping aspiring law students achieve their ambitions and find their purpose. It is initiatives such as Spivey’s and professionals like Paula that I am eternally grateful for. [...] Thank you once again, Paula and Spivey Consulting Group. Your contributions will always remain in my heart and are an integral part of my law school journey and subsequent endeavors.” –Andy L.

“[I appreciated] not only the application cycle support but the mentorship and reassurance throughout the process that I was/am good enough to be lawyer! As a first-gen high school graduate and college student, this past application cycle was incredibly difficult. I trusted [my consultant] completely, and never once did I feel that she wasn't rooting for me. It gave me a sense of hope and motivation that even when I didn't believe in myself, she still did. While the feedback on my application materials were EXTREMELY helpful, the relationship I developed with [my consultant] was truly the real gift!” -T.D.

“Thank you again so much for everything and all your support on my application process... sincerely. After speaking with so many fellow applicants, I now see the application process as another way to overwhelm and confuse the less privileged. Without this pro bono consulting and your help, none of this would be possible. Thank you so much for opening up the doors of opportunity and a better life for so many of us.” –R.P.

Apply Here!

Thank you for your interest. If you have any questions, please email our Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Paula Gluzman, at paula@spiveyconsulting.com.