History of Jumpstart

Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), the first judge of color to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, launched Jumpstart in the early 2000s to prepare underrepresented minority law students for what to expect in their first year of law school and to learn best practices for becoming successful lawyers.

For over a decade, Illinois law schools have collaborated to create and present a Jumpstart curriculum that provides practical tips for achievement in the classroom and real-world experience in networking, career development, and other aspects of the legal profession.

The Commission has supported Jumpstart since 2013. In 2018, we expanded our support by becoming the program coordinator.