Get a head start and feel prepared for the first year of law school.
Edge Ahead is a law school preparedness program designed for students planning to attend law school within the next two years. Through a combination of foundational skills instruction and live doctrinal classes, participants gain early exposure to the language, workload, and expectations of legal education.
For students beginning law school this fall, the program transforms uncertainty into familiarity. By practicing core skills, experiencing real law school classes, and engaging with faculty before the semester begins, participants enter their first week already understanding how law school works.
For students who are still deciding whether law school is the right path, Edge Ahead offers a realistic introduction to how law students read cases, analyze legal problems, and engage in classroom discussion. Participants leave with a clearer understanding of what law school demands and whether it is the right next step.
The program is taught by accomplished and dedicated professors who will support you during your introduction to the law school experience.
For more information, contact Hunter Whaley, Assistant Dean for Information Services, at edgeahead@hofstra.edu.
Program Overview
Edge Ahead offers two ways to prepare for law school depending on the level of experience and preparation you want before the semester begins.
Option 1: Edge Ahead Full Program (Three Weeks, Hybrid)
June 29 – July 17, 2026
Students begin with the online Foundations week and then continue with two additional hybrid weeks that deepen their preparation through applied skills training, doctrinal exposure, and professional engagement.
During Weeks 2 and 3, participants take part in Legal Research and Writing sessions throughout the week, Criminal Law classes on select days, and interactive sessions with Hofstra Law offices and services. The program also includes alumni lunches and professional identity programming designed to help students understand the expectations and culture of the legal profession.
Thursday sessions are held online to provide flexibility for summer schedules, while the in-person programming focuses on building connections with faculty, alumni, and fellow students.
Through this extended experience, students practice the academic and professional skills that will shape their first semester of law school.
Option 2: Edge Ahead Foundations (Remote Week)
June 29 – July 2, 2026
The Foundations week is a focused four-day online program designed to introduce students to the core academic expectations of law school.
Participants engage in sessions on Academic Success and the Foundations of American Law, where they learn how to read judicial opinions, brief cases, take effective notes, and approach the analytical reasoning required in law school courses.
Students also participate in Torts as a sample doctrinal class, allowing them to apply these skills within the context of a live law school course. Through this experience, participants become familiar with the language, structure, and pace of law school instruction.
By the end of the week, students have already practiced the methods and habits that shape success during the first weeks of law school.
Information Sessions
Hofstra Law will hold virtual information sessions for students interested in learning more about the 2026 program. Information sessions are open to all students interested in attending law school in the next two years. Sign-up using the links for each session.
Edge Ahead Full Program (Three Weeks, Hybrid)
$1,500
The full program includes the online Foundations week plus two additional weeks of hybrid programming focused on Legal Research and Writing, Criminal Law, and professional engagement.
Lunch is included on all in-person program days.
Register for Edge Ahead Full Program
Edge Ahead Foundations (One Week, Remote)
$800
This four-day online program provides an introduction to law school skills and doctrinal learning through Academic Success training and a sample Torts course.
Coursework
Foundations of American Law and Academic Success
Students are introduced to the structure of American law and develop core skills such as reading cases, briefing opinions, and approaching legal analysis.
Torts
Students experience a sample doctrinal course where they apply foundational skills such as case briefing, rule synthesis, and legal analysis through the study of tort law.
Legal Research and Writing
Students learn the fundamentals of legal research and written legal analysis, developing skills that are essential across the first-year curriculum.
Criminal Law
Students continue developing their analytical skills through the study of criminal law, reinforcing the case analysis and doctrinal reasoning introduced in the Torts course.
Your professors will give you assignments as well as a final exam or writing assignment upon which you will receive substantial feedback. Through these courses, you will have the invaluable opportunity to become comfortable with the law school testing and writing experience and to hone your skills in the summer, so that when the fall semester arrives, you are in the best position to succeed.
Our Faculty
Lauren Hespos
Visiting Assistant Professor of Academic Support and Bar Preparation
Lisa M. White
Visiting Assistant Professor of Legal Writing
Nicole Lefton
Director of Academic Support and Bar Preparation and Professor of Academic Support and Bar Preparation
Kevin McElroy
Professor of Legal Writing
Student Profiles
Christopher Link
“The Edge Ahead Program was really the best experience of my educational career. The program really helps to hold your hand through the month long process. At lunchtime we had Hofstra Law alumni come in ranging in every field of law that you could possibly imagine, all the way from litigation to mergers and acquisitions with multi-billion dollar companies.”
Deandra Denton
"As a first-generation law student, I knew that getting a preview into what my 1L experience would be like was critical. Edge Ahead helped me to get acquainted with law school and start off strong. The best advice I received was on outlining strategies and exam-taking techniques. This advice has been foundational to my success in my first year."
Anthony Early
“Professor Albert taught me that ‘Law school is about being okay with the ground under you not being stable. Edge Ahead is the first step towards being comfortable in your discomfort.’ Edge Ahead, and specifically that quote, allowed me to prepare myself with uncomfortable situations. The quicker I learned to be okay with not being okay, the more comfortable I became with the law school experience as a whole.”
Jaime Feerst
“The Edge Ahead curriculum taught me how to read cases, learn the law, and write office memoranda — all essential skills for a successful 1L. I attribute much of my success during my first semester to Edge Ahead, and highly recommend it to incoming law students.”
Kyle Facibene
“Each professor does an excellent job simulating how your first-year classes will be, while also providing valuable tips on how to succeed in your first year and beyond. When I walked into my first 1L class, not only did I feel more confident than I could have imagined, but I also felt that I had a distinct advantage over many of my classmates.”
Rachel Miller
"Edge Ahead was such a great experience for me because I had the opportunity to be taught by amazing Hofstra Law professors who helped me start developing law school skills including case briefing, test-taking etc. In that way, Edge Ahead allowed me to gain a sense of what it means to study the law before law school."
Megan Scime
“Participating in the Edge Ahead program provided me with a greater understanding of law school fundamentals. With this extensive experience, I gained confidence in the classroom, was ready to take on my first year, and excelled to gain a federal judicial internship for Summer 2021!”