Ana-Paola Capaldo High Quality Photo

Ana-Paola Capaldo of Miami, Florida is one of about thirty students participating in the 2010 Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Summer Institute in Valparaiso, Indiana.  CLEO is a program designed to assist Indiana minority, low income or educationally disadvantaged college graduates in pursuing a law degree and a career in the Indiana legal community.

Capaldo is the daughter of Iginio and Sofia Capaldo of Florida.  She is a 2007 graduate of Coral Reef Senior High School where she was active in local opera companies and refugee relief projects.  She is a 2010 graduate of Florida International University with a degree in English Literature.  Capaldo was recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences and the FIU Honors College and was also appointed to a position with the U.S. Department of State.  Capaldo plans to attend Notre Dame Law School in the fall and was honored to be named a CLEO Fellow. “Being an ICLEO fellow and a student at Notre Dame will help me reach the goal of aiding the underrepresented, diversifying the legal community, and helping maintain the high ethical standards of the legal profession.”

Indiana CLEO was established in 1997 by the Indiana General Assembly and Governor Frank O’Bannon at the urging of Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard.  Chief Justice Shepard explained, “Over the past 13 years CLEO has encouraged young adults with promise to enter the legal field.  These are students who traditionally do not turn to a career choice in the legal arena, but with CLEO as a spring board they are successful.  I’m proud of each student and excited to see what talents the newest CLEO class brings to the legal community.” 

Each year, Indiana CLEO accepts approximately 30 college graduates into the program.  The students attend a six-week Summer Institute held at one of the four Indiana law schools.  This year, the program is at Valparaiso University School of Law.  CLEO is designed to prepare the students for the rigors of their upcoming law school experience.  The students are introduced to areas of law which they will encounter during their first year of law school.  They take part in a challenging curriculum and receive tips for law school success and professional development.  The Indiana Supreme Court’s Division of State Court Administration provides staff support and financial management for CLEO.

After successful completion of the Indiana CLEO Summer Institute, students are eligible for an annual stipend ranging from $6,500 - $9,000.   Stipends may be awarded for up to three successive years if the student remains eligible.  After graduation, CLEO Fellows continue to have a supportive network of legal mentors comprised of alumni and program supporters.