The Pre-Legal Program was established more than forty-five years ago through the vision and leadership of Professor Brenda Saunders Hampden, a civil rights pioneer, and Mr. Aaron Campbell, who served as Assistant to the President for Governmental Relations at Seton Hall University and as Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund. With the support of New Jersey’s EOF program, they founded an initiative designed to expand access to the legal profession for students who had historically been excluded from it.
From its earliest days, the program embraced the mission of empowering disadvantaged and underrepresented students to see law not only as a career, but as a tool for justice. Pre-Legal students were taught to write with clarity, read with precision, and advocate with confidence. This foundation reflected a broader philosophy; that success in law is not merely a matter of academic ability, but also of discipline, persistence, and a supportive community.
The legacy of Pre-Legal is found in its graduates. Alumni of the program serve as judges, prosecutors, defenders, elected officials, faculty members, and practicing attorneys across countless fields. Their presence in the profession is a testament to the program’s enduring impact and to the vision of its founders. Today, Pre-Legal continues to uphold this legacy while adapting to meet the needs of a new generation of aspiring law students, reaffirming its role as both a bridge to law school and a beacon of access to justice.
