Shelli Soto joined the Arizona State University College of Law as the Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid in August of 2005.  With a B.A. in economics from The University of Texas at Austin in 1991 and a J.D. in 1994 from The University of Texas School of Law, she began her work in higher education administration with the Admissions Office at UT Law School where she served as the Assistant Dean for Admissions from 1997 until March of 2002.  Her interest in pipeline issues led her to the directorship of a research center at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for several years before returning to law school admissions.  The Center for Law and Border Studies focused on education, outreach, and research efforts.  Most known for its ground-breaking Law School Preparation Institute, the Center is a leader in addressing pipeline issues for law schools.

Shelli recently completed a two-year term as a member of LSAC’s Finance and Legal Affairs Committee and is currently serving on LSAC’s Minority Affairs Committee, a committee on which she has served two previous times.  She is also a member of the PLUS workgroup and has served on the planning committee for LSAC’s Newcomers Workshop twice, in 1998 and again in 2006.  Further, she has served as a member of the planning group for the ABA/LSAC Pipeline Diversity Initiative, and she is a regular presenter locally and nationally on a variety of issues relating to law school, admissions, pipeline programs, and diversity.

Shelli co-authored “Affirmative Action Revived:  What is the Future for Law Schools?” Texas Hispanic Journal of Law & Policy (Fall 2004) and served on the Board of Advisors for that journal.  Her creativity and commitment to diversity in legal education were recognized in 2001 by Texas Senate Resolution 231.