Legal Prep Charter Academy
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overview for admissions counselors


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School Leadership Team
Mr. Samuel Finkelstein
Principal, Co-Founder & CEO

sfinkelstein@legalprep.org
 
Mr. Rather Stanton
Co-Founder & COO

rstanton@legalprep.org

Ms. Shonnika Henry
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
shenry
@legalprep.org
College Counseling Department
La Norra Dennis
Alumni Support & College and Career Counselor
DD: 773-922-7811
P: 773-922-7800 Ext. 206

ldennis@legalprep.org

Bryce Holmes
College Counselor & Senior Collegiate Scholars Teacher

Office: 773-922-7200, ext. 309
bholmes@legalprep.org
​

High School Profile 2019-2020
CEEB 141332
4319 W Washington Blvd, Chicago IL, 60624-2232
773-922-7800

Visit Legal Prep Charter Academy
Visits are scheduled between 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8:00 - 1:00 pm on Wednesday. You can schedule directly online via RepVisits. Representatives will meet with the college counselor and one-on-one with students. There are no lunch visits.
 
Legal Prep Charter Academy Mission
The mission of Legal Prep Charter Academy is to use its unique law-themed curriculum and culture of high expectations to cultivate compassion, self-motivation, and reflection in young adults who will be prepared to succeed at outstanding four-year colleges and universities.
 

School
Founded in 2012, Legal Prep Charter Academy maintains open admissions and is a legal-themed college preparatory education for students in West Garfield Park and Chicago’s West Side. Legal Prep has graduated two classes as of 2018. 100% of our students have applied and been accepted to four and two-year colleges. Charter schools are publicly funded and are held to the same academic standards as Illinois’ public schools.
 
Currently there are 375 students enrolled at Legal Prep, with a goal of 500 by 2023.  Fifteen percent of our students have learning differences.

 
Demographics
  • 81 Seniors
  • 100% African-American
  • 100% on reduced or free lunch
  • 95% First generation
 
Community Background: West Garfield Park
The West Garfield Park neighborhood is 5 miles west of downtown Chicago. The community abuts beautiful Garfield Park, home to the celebrated architect Jens Jensen’s botanical conservatory. The area is easily accessible via both green and blue elevated train lines, as well as the Eisenhower Expressway. Currently 18,000 residents call West Garfield Park home. Economic decline has been a reality since the 1960’s. Less than 15% of adults have attained a B.A., the median annual household income reported in 2016 was $23,500, and Garfield Park’s current unemployment rate is 25%. Legal Prep was founded to be a voice of strength and positive change in the community. 
 

Program Highlights
  • Legal-Themed Curriculum
Students complete an array of courses during their tenure at Legal Prep Charter Academy including law- themed courses as well as traditional core subjects in the liberal arts.  Each student has a capstone Law Seminar in his or her senior year.

  • Negotiations
Students at Legal Prep work with attorneys in their corporate offices in downtown Chicago to learn through a series of structured lessons and activities that emphasize conflict resolution, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning skills.

  • Advisory
Students are placed in an advisory section and work together with the same faculty for all four years. The advisor helps students set academic and personal goals, and develop effective study habits.

  • Community Service
Students complete 40 hours of community service, and a reflection paper during their tenure at Legal Prep. These hours prepare students to be stewards not only for their personal growth but also for the growth of their communities.

  • Alumni Support
In the spring of 2016 Legal Prep hired a post-graduate counselor in support of Legal Prep alumni moving on to college. This individual will be an extended network of support between the student and the university community.
 
  • Law- Career and Technical Education Certification
This certification by Chicago Public Schools recognizes a three-year college-prep track of classes in law, which includes a three-college credit senior course in Constitutional Law.
 

Curriculum
Based on a strong, liberal arts curriculum that emphasizes extensive writing, oral communication, critical thinking, analysis, and deep research, Legal Prep Charter Academy creates a foundation for college success for each student. The academic year is divided into two semesters with official grades reported in late January and mid-June. There are seven periods per day, and courses are 50 minutes in length and meet everyday. Wednesday classes meet for 40 minutes. In 2018-2019 we offer one AP course in Biology, as well as Dual Credit Constitutional Law and Criminal Law courses in collaboration of Chicago City Colleges.
 
English
  • English 1, English 2, English 3, English 3, and English 4
  • Dual Credit: Composition (101) and Into to Literature (111)
Mathematics
  • Integrated Math Concepts, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus (Honors offered at each level)
Science
  • Biology, Physics, Chemistry, AP Biology (Honors offered at each level)
History/Social Science
  • World History, US History, Government, Economics
  • Dual Credit: Intro to Business (111) and Entrepreneurship (216)
Legal Track
  • Law and Literature, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Law Theory
  • Dual Credit: Intro to Criminology (250) and Issues in Criminal Justice (202)
World Language
  • Spanish I, Spanish II, Spanish III
College Dual Enrollment
  • Dual Enrollment @ Chicago City Colleges: Multiple course offerings, including African-Amer Studies, Computer Science, Cinema Studies
Foundation Courses
  • These are noted on the transcript for students who need additional academic supports.
Additional Courses
  • Physical Education, Art I, Junior Collegiate Scholars, Senior Collegiate Scholars
 
Graduation Requirements

At Legal Prep, each yearlong course is equal to one unit and each semester course is worth one half unit. Students take classes totaling 8 units each year and must earn at least 26 units to graduate. These credits must include:
  • English (4 Units)
  • Science (4 Units)
  • Math (4 Units)
  • Social Studies (3 Units)
  • World language (2 Units)
  • Law (4 Units)
  • Electives (4 Units)
  • Physical education (this requirement can also be met with two seasons of a sport) (1 Unit)
 
Official Grading Scale
GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale and calculated each semester. Transfer grades are not included in the LPCA cumulative GPAs. Repeated courses are noted on transcript. Pass/Fail classes do not factor into grade point averages. These are noted on the transcript.
 
A+:  97-100  A:  93-96  A-:  90-92
B+:  87-89  B:  83-86  B-:  80-82
C+:  77-79  C:  73-76  C-:  70-72
D:  60-69  F:  0-59
 
Honors courses are weighted +.5 points and Advance Placement and Dual Enrollment/Credit courses are weighted +1.0 points to reflect academic difficulty. Please contact the Director of College Counseling for progress grades if necessary.
 

Class of 2019 Average SAT Scores
  • April SAT Middle 50% Composite: 800 – 930
    • English: 390-470
    • Math: 390-490
  • April SAT Composite Avg: 876
    • English: 438
    • Math: 439
 
Class of 2019 6th Sem. GPA (weighted)
  • Top Decile: 4.13-3.88
  • Top Quartile: 4.13-3.48
  • Second Quartile: 3.46-2.93
  • Third Quartile:2.92-2.18
  • Fourth Quartile: 2.14-
 
Student Conduct Policy and Discipline
It is school policy to not report disciplinary infractions to colleges, but we work with students to portray candidly their academic and disciplinary history through the application process.
 
Wildcat Extracurriculars
When reviewing the applications of Legal Prep students it is important to realize many of our students work 10-20 hours per week in support of family needs. This is one reason many of students seem “light” in extracurriculars. We do offer the following, depending on student interest:
  • Women's Basketball
  • Men's Basketball
  • Track & Field
  • Peer tutoring
  • Mentor Program
  • ​Volleyball
  • Art Club
  • Debate
  • Student Government
  • Mock Trial
  © 2020 Legal Prep Charter Academy
      
             Main Office Phone: 773-922-7800
Fax Number: 312-386-5796
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