Historic First: Two Incarcerated Students Become the First in the Nation to Earn JD Degrees From an ABA-Accredited Law School
Maureen Onyelobi and Jeffery Young made history on June 8 at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee, becoming the first incarcerated people in the United States to earn juris doctor degrees from an ABA-accredited law school through a groundbreaking collaboration among the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, the Prison to Law Pipeline and All Square and The Legal Revolution.
On Monday, June 8, 2026, Minnesota made history that will be remembered in legal education for generations to come.
Maureen Onyelobi and Jeffery Young, both incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee, became the first incarcerated people in the United States to earn juris doctor degrees from an ABA-accredited law school while incarcerated. The graduation marked the culmination of a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, the Prison to Law Pipeline, All Square and The Legal Revolution, and leaders within the American Bar Association.
A Historic Partnership
The achievement did not happen by accident. It required institutions willing to look beyond conventional gatekeeping and ask who truly belongs in the legal profession.
“These three entities — Mitchell Hamline, DOC, and American Bar Association leadership — had the courage, the wisdom, and the vision to do what gatekeepers before them refused to do,” Young said. “They saw worth and value where others were blinded.”
Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell celebrated the milestone and the partnerships that made it possible.
“The commitment, hard work, and success of Ms. Onyelobi and Mr. Young remind us that there are talented, dedicated students in our correctional facilities who are eager to learn, grow, and contribute,” Schnell said. “This graduation is a powerful example of the rehabilitative and restorative power of education that can occur in the context of accountability. I have no doubt and every expectation that these two new legal scholars will use their legal education to advance a common good.”
What It Means for Legal Education
For those watching from within the legal academy, the implications go far beyond two individuals.
“This is structural transformation,” said Jim Hilbert, professor of law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. “Educators will see with new eyes who belongs in law school. Legal institutions will see more clearly who can contribute and who can teach us about justice.”
Maya Pennington, CEO of All Square and The Legal Revolution, echoed that sentiment.
“Today is more than a graduation,” Pennington said. “It is proof that when opportunity, partnerships, and determination come together, systems can change and lives can be transformed.”
In Their Own Words
For Onyelobi, graduation is both a personal triumph and the beginning of a new chapter of advocacy. She plans to take the bar exam and begin her work as an advocate for change.
“As I close this law school chapter and prepare to take the bar exam and become an advocate for change, I will persevere just like I did when I was ten years old,” she said. “Today, I can confidently say I got my fearlessness back. It has been fully restored. This journey has not been easy, but I had a lot of help along the way. I thank everyone who helped me, the ones in the forefront as well as the ones behind the scenes.”
Their achievement opens a door that has never before been opened, one that advocates hope will create a pathway for future generations of incarcerated students pursuing careers in the legal profession. Minnesota, once again, has shown the country what is possible when institutions choose courage over convention.