text: SECTION 1. THURGOOD MARSHALL LEGAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.
  
      Chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher 
  Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq.) is amended by 
  inserting after section 402H of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070a-18) the 
  following:
  
  ``SEC. 402I. LEGAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.
  
      ``(a) Program Authority.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
  to be known as the `Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity 
  Program' designed to provide low-income, minority, or disadvantaged 
  college students with the information, preparation, and financial 
  assistance to gain access to and complete law school study.
      ``(b) Eligibility.--A college student is eligible for assistance 
  under this section if the student is--
              ``(1) from a low-income family;
              ``(2) a minority; or
              ``(3) from an economically or otherwise disadvantaged 
          background.
      ``(c) Contract or Grant Authorized.--The Secretary is authorized to 
  enter into a contract with, or make a grant to, the Council on Legal 
  Education Opportunity, for a period of not less than 5 years--
              ``(1) to identify college students who are from low-income 
          families, are minorities, or are from disadvantaged backgrounds 
          described in subsection (b)(3);
              ``(2) to prepare such students for study at accredited law 
          schools;
              ``(3) to assist such students to select the appropriate law 
          school, make application for entry into law school, and receive 
          financial assistance for such study;
              ``(4) to provide support services to such students who are 
          first-year law students to improve retention and success in law 
          school studies; and
              ``(5) to motivate and prepare such students with respect to 
          law school studies and practice in low-income communities.
      ``(d) Services Provided.--In carrying out the purposes described in 
  subsection (c), the contract or grant shall provide for the delivery of 
  services through prelaw information resource centers, summer 
  institutes, midyear seminars, and other educational activities, 
  conducted under this section. Such services may include--
              ``(1) information and counseling regarding--
                      ``(A) accredited law school academic programs, 
                  especially tuition, fees, and admission requirements;
                      ``(B) course work offered and required for 
                  graduation;
                      ``(C) faculty specialties and areas of legal 
                  emphasis;
                      ``(D) undergraduate preparatory courses and 
                  curriculum selection;
              ``(2) tutoring and academic counseling, including 
          assistance in preparing for bar examinations;
              ``(3) prelaw mentoring programs, involving law school 
          faculty, members of State and local bar associations, and 
          retired and sitting judges, justices, and magistrates;
              ``(4) assistance in identifying preparatory courses and 
          material for the law school aptitude or admissions tests;
              ``(5) summer institutes for Thurgood Marshall Fellows that 
          expose the Fellows to a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes 
          abstract thinking, legal analysis, research, writing, and 
          examination techniques; and
              ``(6) midyear seminars and other educational activities 
          that are designed to reinforce reading, writing, and studying 
          skills of Thurgood Marshall Fellows.
      ``(e) Duration of the Provision of Services.--The services 
  described in subsection (d) may be provided--
              ``(1) prior to the period of law school study;
              ``(2) during the period of law school study; and
              ``(3) during the period following law school study and 
          prior to taking a bar examination.
      ``(f) Subcontracts and Subgrants.--For the purposes of planning, 
  developing, or delivering one or more of the services described in 
  subsection (d), the Council on Legal Education Opportunity shall enter 
  into subcontracts with, and make subgrants to, institutions of higher 
  education, law schools, public and private agencies and organizations, 
  and combinations of such institutions, schools, agencies, and 
  organizations.
      ``(g) Stipends.--The Secretary shall annually establish the maximum 
  stipend to be paid (including allowances for participant travel and for 
  the travel of the dependents of the participant) to Thurgood Marshall 
  Fellows for the period of participation in summer institutes and 
  midyear seminars. A Fellow may be eligible for such a stipend only if 
  the Fellow maintains satisfactory academic progress toward the Juris 
  Doctor or Bachelor of Laws degree, as determined by the respective 
  institutions.
      ``(h) Maximum Level.--For any year for which an appropriation is 
  made to carry out this chapter, the Secretary shall allocate not more 
  than $5,000,000 for the purpose of providing the services described in 
  subsection (d).''.
target: Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity Program to provide low-income, minority, or disadvantaged college students with information, preparation, and financial assistance to gain access to and complete law school study. 
  Authorizes the Secretary to contract with, or make a grant to, the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, for at least a five-year period, to deliver specified services under such program, directly and through subgrants and subcontracts. 
  Directs the Secretary to establish annually the maximum stipend to be paid to Thurgood Marshall Fellows for the period of prelaw preparation in summer institutes and midyear seminar prior to and during the period of law school study. 
  Sets forth the maximum amount of grants for such program services for any fiscal year.
feat_title: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the establishment of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity Program.