Barry Stanback says there are too many black attorneys headed into corporate law and not working at the grass roots level.

“There aren’t enough lawyers doing the real work,” says Stanback, director of N.C. Central University’s pre-law academy.

For this reason, the political science adjunct professor has been working tirelessly to increase the number of lawyers.

Two years ago, Stanback started the NCCU pre-law academy in the Department of Political Science.

he pre-law academy, which runs from May 15-June 21, helps undergraduate students with their career planning, applications and training for the LSAT, an entrance exam required for all law school applicants.

According to Stanback, too many black law school applicants are denied admission because they have not been properly prepared.

Last year, 32 students participated in the pre-law academy and 15 are signed up for this summer’s program.

“I applaud the students and staff for their unmatched support,” said Stanback.

But he said that he would like to see the program expanded.

He says that hard work and prayer keeps NCCU’s fledgling pre-law academy together.

“We refuse to let it die,” he said. “We’ve just had to make it work with what we have.”

“We operate on a shoe string budget” he said. “We need more administrative support and money if we are going to make [the expansion] happen.”

In 2006, the academy received $35,000 from the Office of the Provost and $10,000 from the College of Liberal Arts.

Stanback says he would like to see the academy expanded to run year round and have it moved from a department-level program to a university-level program.

This would make NCCU the only HBCU with a dedicated pre-law academy.

“We would not only be a model for other HBCUs, but also for all schools,” he said.

Stanback, who earned his juris doctorate from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law, practiced law in Greensboro for 12 years and has worked for the Democratic Party.

Interested students can register for the academy until May 30. Tuition and fees are $300 for NCCU students. The fee includes short courses in criminal law, legal reasoning, LSAT prep and legal research and writing.

For more information, students should contact Margaret James, assistant director of the Summer Pre-Law Academy at 530-6434.