For more than forty-five years, the Institute for Pre-Legal Studies at Seton Hall Law School has stood as a pathway for students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue legal education. Commonly referred to as “Pre-Legal,” the program was founded with the mission of preparing EOF-eligible students for law school while equipping them with the confidence, discipline, and skills needed to succeed.
Today, Pre-Legal has evolved into a multi-year initiative that extends beyond a single summer experience. The program now begins during students’ undergraduate years and continues through law school admission and beyond, offering steady support and mentorship at every step. Students are first introduced through the Academic Excellence and Success Workshops during their freshman and sophomore years, where they develop strong foundations in writing, communication, and academic discipline. This preparation leads directly into the Mini-Institute, a one-week hybrid program that serves as both a capstone for early participants and an introduction to the study of law.
Building upon these foundations, juniors and seniors participate in the second phase of Academic Excellence and Success Workshops, where they engage in more rigorous lawyering skills, critical listening, and writing-intensive coursework guided by law faculty. From there, students may be selected into the hallmark of the Pre-Legal continuum, the Summer Residential Program. This five-week, fully immersive experience replicates the rigor of a first-year law curriculum. Graduates of the Residential Program join a robust alumni network and receive continued support through LSAT preparation, admissions advising, and professional mentorship.
Together, these programs form a continuum that ensures students are introduced to law gradually, supported throughout their undergraduate journey, and fully prepared to enter law school with skill and confidence.
Nashon Hornsby, JD, LLM, is the Project Director for the Institute for Pre-Legal Studies
(Pre-Legal). Mr. Hornsby is a first-generation college graduate. A native of Neptune
Township, New Jersey, he earned an associate degree in political science, Magna Cum
Laude, from Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ (1990), and a bachelor’s degree
in business management, Cum Laude, from Morehouse College in 1993.
While an undergraduate student, Nashon attended the Summer Institute for Pre-Legal Studies and, through the program, decided to pursue a career in law. It was during this experience that he acquired the skills necessary to succeed in law school and beyond. He met Professor Brenda Saunders Hampden, the Founding Director of Pre-Legal, during the summer of 1990 and has maintained contact with her ever since.
Following graduation from Morehouse, Nashon returned to New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Health Law. Licensed to practice in New Jersey, Nashon has served as an adjunct at Seton Hall for over 20 years. In fact, Professor Saunders recruited him to work for Pre-Legal in 1995 while he was still a student, and he has continued to contribute to the program every year since earning his degree in 1997.
In addition to overseeing the Pre-Legal program, Mr. Hornsby provides instruction in oral advocacy, civics, and health law. He also serves the State of New Jersey as the Deputy Commissioner of the Population Health Branch within the Department of Health, overseeing the Divisions of Health Care Access and Opportunity; Nutrition and Developmental Services; Family Health Services; Health Promotion; and Syndemic and Substance Use Services. These divisions manage public-facing programs such as minority and multicultural health, WIC, maternal and child health, early intervention, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS services, and opioid response and resiliency efforts.
Mr. Hornsby resides in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, with his wife Melissa. The couple has two adult children, two grandsons, and three granddogs.
