Kappa Alpha Pi (professional)

Kappa Alpha Pi (ΚΑΠ) or KAPi is a gender-inclusive pre-law fraternity that started at the University of Michigan.^[1][2] Across chapters, it is considered to be one of the most selective and elite professional fraternities in the United States.^[3]

Kappa Alpha Pi
ΚΑΠ
Founded	October 9, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-10-09) University of Michigan
Type	Professional
Affiliation	Independent
Former affiliation	PFA
Status	Active
Emphasis	Law
Scope	National
Pillars	Professionalism, philanthropy, and brotherhood
Colors	Navy blue and   Silver
Symbol	Gavel, book of knowledge, and torch
Mascot	Phoenix
Chapters	34 active
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois United States
Website	www.kapinational.com

History

In 2007, undergraduate members of Phi Alpha Delta at the University of Michigan disaffiliated from the international pre-law fraternity to form a new "close-knit community" at the chapter level.^[1][4] These pre-law students created Kappa Alpha Pi on October 9, 2007.^[1][4][5] The purpose of Kappa Alpha Pi is "to foster knowledge of the law for undergraduate students; to provide service to the greater community and campus; to promote a strong sense of fraternalism among members; to uphold the ideals and integrity of Kappa Alpha Pi Pre-Law Co-ed Fraternity; so that each member may advance his or her intellect while contributing actively to the well-being of others."^[6][7]

In 2009, the Alpha chapter of Phi Alpha Delta at UCLA also withdrew from the national pre-law fraternity. It formed the Beta chapter of Kappa Alpha Pi.^[8] Similarly, the Theta chapter at University of California, Davis also formed from a pre-existing Phi Alpha Delta chapter.^[9]

Although the fraternity expanded to other campuses, each chapter follows the model of the Alpha chapter.^[10] Each chapter has an executive board that leads the fraternity and its pledge classes.^[11]

Symbols

The Kappa Alpha Pi crest features a shield decorated with a gavel, the Book of Knowledge, and a torch that symbolize law and justice.^[12] At the base of the shield is a scroll with the fraternity's name.^[12] Above the shield is the Wreath of Victory and a phoenix which represents the fraternity's history.^[12]

The fraternity's colors are navy blue, symbolizing harmony and steadfastness, and silver which symbolizes intelligence, maturity, modesty, and security.^[12] Its pillars are professionalism, philanthropy, and brotherhood.^[13][14]

Activities

Chapters hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings with guest speakers. Individual chapters plan their own campus programs and offer assistance with preparing for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and law school application, host resume workshops, and offer mentorship programs with law school students. The fraternity also does philanthropic work, such as fundraising for local charities and partnering with legal clinics and legal aid nonprofit organizations.^[7]

Chapters

Following is a list of Kappa Alpha Pi chapters, with active chapters indicated in bold and inactive chapters in italics.^[1][2][15]

Chapter	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Status	References
Alpha	October 9, 2007	University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, Michigan	Active	[5][a]
Beta	2009	University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	Active	[8][b]
Gamma	2010	University of California, Riverside	Riverside, California	Active
Delta	May 7, 2011	Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Active	[10]
Epsilon	2011	Chapman University	Orange, California	Active	[16]
Zeta	2012	University at Albany, SUNY	Albany, New York	Inactive
Eta	2013	Michigan State University	East Lansing, Michigan	Active	[14]
Theta	2014	University of California, Davis	Davis, California	Inactive	[9][a]
Iota	2014	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, California	Active	[7][17][18]
Kappa	2018	University of California, San Diego	San Diego, California	Active	[12][19]
Lambda	2019	University of Tennessee	Knoxville, Tennessee	Active	[20][17][21]
Mu	2019	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Champaign, Illinois	Active	[19]
Nu	October 15, 2020	Lincoln University	Jefferson City, Missouri	Inactive
Xi	2023	Emory University	Atlanta, Georgia	Active
Omicron	2023	University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	Active
Pi	2023	George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	Active
Rho	2023	Appalachian State University	Boone, North Carolina	Active
Sigma	2023	Clemson University	Clemson, South Carolina	Active
Tau	2023	University of Kentucky	Lexington, Kentucky	Active
Upsilon	2023	University of Georgia	Athens, Georgia	Active
Phi	2023	University of Arkansas	Fayetteville, Arkansas	Active
Chi	2023	North Carolina State University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Active
Psi	2023	University of Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia	Active
Omega	2023	Auburn University	Auburn, Alabama	Active
Alpha Alpha	2023	University of Louisville	Louisville, Kentucky	Active
Alpha Beta	2023	University of Mississippi	Oxford, Mississippi	Active
Alpha Gamma	2023	Georgetown University	Washington, D.C.	Active
Alpha Delta	2023	George Washington University	Washington, D.C.	Active
Alpha Epsilon	2023	Wake Forest University	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	Active
Alpha Zeta	2023	Texas Christian University	Fort Worth, Texas	Active
Alpha Eta	2023	University of West Florida	Pensacola, Florida	Active
Alpha Theta	2023	Washington University in St. Louis	St. Louis, Missouri	Active
Alpha Iota	2023	University of Richmond	Richmond, Virginia	Active
Alpha Kappa	2024	College of Charleston	Charleston, South Carolina	Active
Alpha Lambda	2024	Saint Louis University	St. Louis, Missouri	Active
Alpha Mu	2024	Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	Active
Alpha Nu	2024	Murray State University	Murray, Kentucky	Active
Alpha Xi	2024	Miami University	Oxford, Ohio	Active
Alpha Omicron	2024	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Active
Alpha Pi	2024	Georgia Institute of Technology	Atlanta, Georgia	Active
Alpha Rho	2024	University of Illinois, Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	Active
Alpha Sigma	2024	Ohio University	Athens, Ohio	Active
Alpha Tau	2024	University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Active
Alpha Upsilon	2024	University of North Carolina Wilmington	Wilmington, North Carolina	Active
Alpha Phi	2024	Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Active
Alpha Chi	2024	Vanderbilt University	Nashville, Tennessee	Active
Alpha Omega	2025	University of Delaware	Newark, Delaware	Active
Beta Kappa	2025	University of Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	Active

See also

• Professional fraternities and sororities
• Lambda Epsilon Chi (paralegal honor society)
• The Order of Barristers (law and litigation honor society)
• Order of the Coif (law honor society)
• Phi Delta Phi (law honor society)

Notes

1. Formed from a chapter of Phi Alpha Delta.
2. Formed from the Alpha chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, established in 2002.