Ready for Launch

Started in 2022, the Launchpad Scholars Program, one of two pipeline-to-law school programs at Yale Law School, helps applicants set themselves up for success by supporting every aspect of the law school application process. It offers in-person and remote learning opportunities, mentorship, LSAT preparation, and individualized application support. It also covers all costs associated with program participation and LSAT testing, as well as application costs for up to six law schools. Members of the program’s first cohort entered law schools across the country this fall, including Yale, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and UC Berkeley.

“We are beyond thrilled with the success of our first cohort,” said Associate Dean of Admissions Miriam Ingber ’04. “They worked incredibly hard, which resulted in enormous success, and they created a supportive community throughout the program. But this is just the beginning — we can’t wait to see what they accomplish during law school and in their legal careers.”

“The collective strength of the Launchpad Scholars Program lies in its vibrant community, and we at Latham are proud to be part of it,” said Michèle Penzer ’93, partner at Latham & Watkins. “Together, we empower Scholars to attend law school and make an impact in the legal profession. By investing in their future, we are excited to witness the incredible contributions these Scholars will make to the legal field.”

When Kilpatrick heard about the program, she submitted her application right away. “It was like the doors were opening and everything was calling my name,” she said. She was accepted to the program as part of Launchpad’s first cohort in 2023. 

The program has helped her achieve a lifelong dream. This fall, she started at Columbia Law School, where she plans to study education law and work toward making the world a fairer place.

“I see the law profession as having great power,” said Kilpatrick. “As a lawyer, I hope to do the most good and make the most impact in my community.”

In June 2025, the second cohort of the Launchpad Scholars traveled to New Haven for the program’s capstone Residential Institute, where they spent a week immersed in workshops, attending classes, and receiving one-on-one support.

Scholars attended workshops with titles like “Optimizing Your Law School Application” and “Acing the Interview,” met with admissions officers, and practiced the Socratic method in mock classes on contracts and legal disputes. They took a field trip to New York City, where they met with lawyers at Latham & Watkins and visited the New York City Bar Association. Students also attended a sentencing hearing conducted by Judge Stefan R. Underhill ’84 in his courtroom in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Afterward, they met with Judge Underhill to debrief the experience.

Omar Uddin, a 2024–25 Launchpad Scholar, said he found this year’s Residential Institute immensely valuable. The Detroit, Michigan, native runs his own community development consulting firm and wants to pursue a legal career in affordable housing but realized he needed help realizing that goal.

“I don’t have lawyers in my family or even white-collar professionals,” he said. Uddin felt that he was in the target group for Launchpad: students who were motivated and capable of excelling but needed some extra resources to bridge the gap.

Uddin said he has benefited from the LSAT preparation and found community among his cohort of like-minded scholars during the yearlong program. But he’s also been surprised by how helpful he found the résumé and personal statement workshops.

“I took more than 30 credits of writing courses at Michigan, but even then, I wouldn’t have realized the personal statement has to be written a certain way to be effective,” he said. “I also went to business school and put together quite a few résumés, but even then, the résumé I would have put together [for law school] would not have been sufficient to demonstrate my capabilities and background.” 

Yasmin Behram, another 2024–25 Launchpad Scholar, said she also found the workshops and LSAT preparation immensely helpful. 

Behram, who works as a staff assistant for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, wants to pursue a career in international human rights focused on women and girls. She applied for the Launchpad Scholars Program after taking the LSAT and receiving a disappointing result. 

“I wanted to apply [to law school] a lot earlier,” said Behram. “But I realized I needed some help.”

Behram focused on improving in her weakest areas on the LSAT, which has helped boost her confidence for retaking the test last summer. She also appreciated going through her personal statement line-by-line with admissions officers, so she could conceptualize how to tell her story in her applications. 

“We designed Launchpad to provide high-touch support to every single participant,” said Catherine Feuille ’22, director of the Launchpad Scholars Program. “That means meeting scholars where they are, learning their stories, and offering individualized guidance at every stage of the process.” 

The support is not simply practical: Behram said she benefited from finding herself in a community of people with similar goals. “I’m not going through this process alone,” she said. “Every time I had a dark thought about my prospects, I heard from everyone else that I deserved to be here.

“The doubts I had about myself are unfounded. I’m truly blessed to be part of this program and that’s what I’ll take into my application.”

Imposter syndrome can hit hard, but Behram has advice for future Launchpad applicants. 

“Don’t be afraid to apply and shoot your shot. I went to a state school no one knows about. But the Launchpad team saw something in me,” she said. “I would encourage people to apply, to put those thoughts on the back burner.”

Otice Carder has long understood that resources matter. During his first year of college, he helped his father, also named Otice Carder, start his own pest control business in their town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. When his father was sued for allegedly violating a noncompete clause, Carder Jr. was struck by the power of the law to protect the already well-resourced.

In the end, the Carders prevailed, and six years on, their business employs eight people and has begun reinvesting in the community. 

Carder heard about Launchpad as a senior at Georgetown and applied hoping the program would help him improve his LSAT score. He joined the first cohort in 2023.

He was impressed by how much more the program offered than simply LSAT prep. But the program is holistic by design, and Carder appreciated the community he found. “Having support all along the way helped it feel a lot more manageable,” he said. 

That support came from instructors, attorney mentors, law student mentors, and Launchpad staff; for the scholars, it sometimes arrived just when it was needed most.

Last year, at a dinner during the Residential Institute, Carder arrived feeling out-of-place. It was his birthday, and he was missing his family, whom he hadn’t been able to celebrate with for a couple of years. “I asked a staff member, ‘How do you keep on going, when it feels like you’re leaving people behind?’ 

The staff member understood the question. She told Carder he was not leaving anyone behind, just going to find more community, more people to love. Later, they brought out a cake for him and sang “Happy Birthday.” 

Carder just finished his first term as a student at Yale Law School. He’s hoping to study corporate law and join a clinic that works with small businesses, but he’s open to what the future holds. 

“I’m most looking forward to just exploring while I’m in law school,” he said. “There’s a lot of power in seeing how things are connected.”