Zack DeMeola

Pioneers and Pathfinders

Our guest today is Zack DeMeola, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), a not-for-profit organization with the goal of advancing law and justice by promoting access, equity, and fairness in law school admission and supporting learning journeys from prelaw through practice. A former corporate litigation attorney, Zack left practice after several years to join the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS). There, he led the Foundations for Practice project, the most comprehensive study to date of the skills, competencies, and characteristics new lawyers need, and the Unlocking Legal Regulation Project, where he directed a team of researchers and lawyers to promote a regulatory system that meets the demands of everyday people. From 2020-2023, Zack promoted innovation in the legal profession and in addressing the access to justice crisis as a member of the Governing Council of the ABA Center for Innovation. Today, at LSAC, Zack supports a range of initiatives, from overseeing research into trends affecting current and prospective law students and advocating for a better way to regulate legal education to working with cross-functional teams to design and implement specific programs, learning outcomes, and standards-based assessments in the organization’s educational programs. Zack is also committed to continuous improvement in legal education as a co-chair of the ABA Resources on Outcomes and Assessments Committee. Additionally, he co-founded Access to Justice Ventures with Natalie Anne Knowlton—a past guest on the podcast. In 2023 the ABA Journal named Zack a Legal Rebel for his groundbreaking work creating a holistic way for law students to find where they fit into the profession, including his work with Foundations for Practice. In our wide-ranging discussion, Zack talks about the mission of LSAC, reconsidering the way we educate and test new lawyers, professional identity formation, and how clerking at the Arkansas Supreme Court shaped his career.