ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Troubled by the ongoing lack of diversity in the law profession, Ford Motor Company and its Office of the General Counsel took action in 2019 to excite young people of color about careers in law and create access to law-related educational opportunities in high school.
PREPARING FOR
THE FUTURE
WITH FORD LAW
They enlisted Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI), a longtime program development and incubation partner, to collaboratively design the learning model, create the curriculum, and support the pilot.
Designed collaboratively by educators and practicing attorneys, Ford Law introduces students to a range of practice areas and empowers them to take the first steps in developing the special set of skills, mindsets, knowledge, and connections that all lawyers need for success.
Today, Ford Law Career Academy is an emerging three-year or four-year program for high school students.
Ford Law is not a stand-alone high school. This program doesn’t replace an undergraduate degree or law school. It’s a pathway within an existing school that excites and empowers students who want to prepare now for their future as a lawyer or explore legal career opportunities in a focused educational experience.
Two college prep high schools that serve Detroit youth — Henry Ford Academy and University Prep Academy – were the first two Ford Law pilot sites nationally.
And, the Ford Law curriculum and related materials are now available in whole or in part for schools, educators, and lawyers to explore and adopt, free of charge.
You have developed a program that is vital to us all.