Council on Legal Education Opportunity

What Council on Legal Education Opportunity does

The Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. (CLEO) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit founded in 1968 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Its mission is to expand access to legal education for students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds, operating a nationwide pre-law pipeline serving more than 32,000 alumni over its 55+ year history. The organization delivers a defined suite of cohort-based programs: CLEO Connection (CNX) monthly networking seminars hosted at Goulston & Storrs offices in Washington DC; Road to Law School (RTLS) one-day workshops for freshmen and sophomores; Jumpstart the LSAT (JLSAT) one-day LSAT prep workshops; Achieving Success in the Application Process (ASAP) two-day application seminars; Attitude Is Essential (AIE) two-day 1L prep workshops delivered online via Zoom; and the flagship Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI), a six-week residential 1L preparation program limited to 40 students per cohort and hosted at Penn State Dickinson Law. Programs are delivered in-person at partner law school campuses, virtually via Zoom, or in a hybrid format, with back-office operations supported by standard off-the-shelf tools including LSAC for application processing and PayPal for payments — CLEO owns no proprietary technology platform.

CLEO's business model is donation-driven, with four revenue streams: (1) program fees, including $2,500 for PLSI, $50 for AIE, $20 for JLSAT and RTLS, and $100 for ASAP; (2) charitable contributions from individuals, alumni, law firms, corporations (e.g., GEICO), and foundations (e.g., MCCA contributed $23,000 to sponsor 15 PLSI students); (3) branded merchandise sales through the cleoinc.shop e-commerce store; and (4) recurring Consortium Partner Law School membership fees at three tiers — Partner $5,000/year, Supporting $3,000/year, and Sustaining $1,500/year — paid by partner institutions such as Penn State Dickinson Law, the University of Chicago, NYU, Cornell, Michigan, GWU, and American University WCL. Additional support comes through institutional partnerships with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which provides bar prep services (academic webinars, weekly MBE questions, bar mentoring, essay tutoring, course discounts, and stipends) for CLEO law students. CLEO also publishes the quarterly JD Report e-newsletter, hosts the annual EDGE Awards program, and runs the CLIC (CLEO Legally Inspired Cohort) initiative pairing students with partner law schools. The organization is governed by a board under President & CEO J.C. Polanco, Esq., MBA, supported by a 7-person executive team including a COO and four VPs.

Name

Council on Legal Education Opportunity

Legal name

Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc.

Website

https://cleoinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education Pipeline Programs

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduate & Professional School Admissions Exams (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) Prep (EDANABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal & Bar Exam Prep (Bar, MPRE, Paralegal) (EDANAIAC), Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

Keywords

• Pre-law pipeline programs
• Legal education access
• Law school diversity initiatives
• Bar exam preparation services
• LSAT preparation workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: CLEO charges fees for certain programs including the Pre-Law Summer Institute ($2,500), AIE workshop ($50), JLSAT ($20), and RTLS ($20), along with application fees. These fees cover program delivery costs and materials.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, CLEO relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals, alumni, law firms, corporations (e.g., GEICO), and foundations (e.g., MCCA). Donations fund student scholarships and program operations.
3. Merchandise Sales: CLEO operates an e-commerce store (cleoinc.shop) selling branded merchandise including apparel and accessories to alumni, supporters, and program participants.
4. Law School Partnership Fees: Partner law schools pay annual consortium fees ranging from $1,500 (Sustaining) to $5,000 (Partner) to support CLEO's mission and gain access to the consortium network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a comprehensive pre-law educational pipeline for aspiring law students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. It delivers cohort-based programs such as the Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI), CLEO Connection (CNX) seminars, Jumpstart the LSAT (JLSAT), Road to Law School (RTLS), ASAP application workshops, Attitude Is Essential (AIE) 1L prep, and Bar Exam preparation in partnership with NCBE, delivered through partner law school campuses and online platforms across the United States.

Product overview

The Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization founded in 1968 that operates a comprehensive pre-law pipeline program. CLEO offers multiple educational programs including CLEO Connection (CNX) monthly networking sessions, Road to Law School (RTLS) workshops for freshmen/sophomores, Jumpstart the LSAT (JLSAT) preparation workshops, Achieving Success in the Application Process (ASAP) application intensives, Attitude Is Essential (AIE) 1L prep workshops, and the flagship Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) six-week intensive program. Additionally, CLEO provides Bar Prep support through an NCBE partnership, publishes the quarterly JD Report newsletter, operates the EDGE Awards program, and maintains a Consortium of Partner Law Schools. The organization also runs an online merchandise shop and provides access to third-party study resources like Quimbee and AdaptiBar through its payment portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) A six-week residential program for incoming 1L students hosted at partner law school campuses, providing comprehensive preparation including case briefing, Socratic method exposure, IRAC exam writing, and networking. Limited to 40 students per cohort with $2,500 program fee.
• CLEO Connection (CNX) Monthly pre-law learning and networking sessions hosted in Washington DC by partner law firms, helping pre-law students build law school preparation skills and support systems.
• Road to Law School (RTLS) One-day workshop for college freshmen and sophomores covering undergraduate preparation, mock law classes, and introduction to legal reasoning. $20 registration fee.
• Jumpstart the LSAT (JLSAT) One-day intensive LSAT preparation workshop for college juniors, seniors, and post-graduates, including practice exams and LSAT strategy instruction. $20 registration fee.
• Achieving Success in the Application Process (ASAP) Two-day pre-law summer seminar focusing on the law school application process, hosted at partner law schools across the country. Approximately $100 per attendee with sponsored seats available.
• Attitude Is Essential (AIE) Two-day online workshop for incoming 1L students covering case briefing, legal research and writing, law school exam preparation, and time management. $50 registration fee.
• Bar Prep (NCBE Partnership) Bar exam preparation support for CLEO law students delivered in partnership with NCBE, including academic webinars, weekly MBE questions, bar mentoring, essay tutoring, course discounts, and stipends.
• CLEO Consortium Partner Law Schools Membership Annual consortium membership program for law schools at Partner ($5,000/year), Supporting ($3,000/year), and Sustaining ($1,500/year) tiers, providing access to the consortium network and JD Report newsletter advertising.
• CLIC (CLEO Legally Inspired Cohort) Access-to-law-school program pairing cohorts of students with partner law schools for comprehensive support through the law school journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32,000+ students have participated in CLEO's programs, graduated from law school, and joined the legal profession
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Penn State Dickinson LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting partner for CLEO's flagship Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) program. Long-time partner for more than 30 years, hosting students at their University Park, PA campus. Received Education award at 2020 CLEO EDGE Honors.
• Goulston & StorrscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts monthly CLEO Connection seminars at their Washington DC offices, providing venue and support for pre-law learning and networking sessions.
• National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NCBE provides CLEO law students with Bar Prep support beginning in 1L year including academic webinars, weekly MBE questions, bar mentoring, essay tutoring, bar course discounts, and stipends.
• Law School Admission Council (LSAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCL EO partners with LSAC for application processing and access. Students apply to PLSI through the LSAC portal, and LSAC reports are used for program eligibility.
• American University Washington College of LawsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP hosting partner for June 2026 session in Washington DC.
• South Texas College of Law HoustonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP hosting partner for July 2026 session in Houston, TX.
• University of Chicago Law SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP hosting partner for July 2026 session in Chicago, IL.
• New York Law SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAP hosting partner for August 2026 session in Manhattan, NY.
• The George Washington University Law SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting partner for JLSAT workshop scheduled March 21, 2026 in Washington DC.
• CLEO Consortium Partner Law SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of law schools at Partner ($5,000/year), Supporting ($3,000/year), and Sustaining ($1,500/year) levels. Includes Cornell, University of Chicago, Penn, NYU, Michigan, and 1+ other institutions.
• North Carolina Central University School of LawsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized as a top 10 law school for diversity in 2019. Partner school hosting PLSI programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Barbri: Largest U.S. bar exam preparation provider, offering courses to most ABA-accredited law schools. Comparable to CLEO's NCBE-partnered Bar Prep offering as a competing source of bar exam preparation for the same target student population.
• Law School Admission Council (LSAC): The operator of the LSAT and central application service for ABA-accredited law schools. LSAC is a core CLEO partner (and runs free LSAT prep via LawHub), making it both an institutional ally and a partial substitute for CLEO's LSAT prep offerings.
• Princeton Review LSAT Prep: Major commercial test prep provider offering LSAT courses and tutoring. Comparable to CLEO's JLSAT and ASAP programs as a competing LSAT preparation option for the same pre-law student demographic.
• National Bar Association: The largest national association of predominantly African American lawyers, judges, and law students. Comparable as a legal-profession diversity institution whose alumni pipeline overlaps with CLEO's target demographic and alumni base.
• Hispanic National Bar Association: National bar association advancing Hispanic legal professionals and supporting pipeline programs. Comparable to CLEO in advancing diversity in the legal profession through scholarships, mentorship, and student support.

Direct peers

• The Posse Foundation: Nonprofit that identifies and recruits diverse student cohorts for top universities. Comparable as a diversity pipeline organization with a structured cohort-based model, though Posse operates across undergraduate admissions rather than specifically targeting law school.
• AccessLex Institute: Nonprofit organization focused on increasing access, affordability, and completion of legal education for underrepresented students. Directly comparable to CLEO's mission of expanding opportunity in legal education, with overlapping scholarship, research, and pipeline programming.
• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): Long-established nonprofit providing educational access and career preparation for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Comparable as a multi-program pipeline organization, though SEO spans multiple professions rather than focusing specifically on law.
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA): Nonprofit advancing diversity in the legal profession through corporate counsel engagement. MCCA is a CLEO financial sponsor and shares the legal-diversity mission, making it both a peer and a funder with closely aligned objectives.

Emerging players

• Blueprint LSAT Prep: Commercial LSAT prep company with live online courses, self-study, and AI-driven analytics. Comparable to CLEO's JLSAT program as an LSAT preparation provider, though operating as a for-profit with proprietary technology CLEO lacks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cleoscholars
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC839NXxvembzZmelkMwWioQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/cleo.scholars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-on-legal-education-opportunity-cleo-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cleoscholars
• TikToktiktok.com/@cleoscholars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Council on Legal Education Opportunity