St. Mary’s University will let students earn bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years

Beginning in the fall of 2012, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio will offer its undergraduates an early admission program to its law school, making it possible to save time and money by obtaining a bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years, says law school Dean Charles E. Cantú. The school began accepting applications to the program in November 2011. “This reduces the students’ education cost, because it reduces the time they spend from seven years to six years, which of course reduces the cost and the time, and which allows them to enter the job market at least a year sooner,” Cantú says. The university offered a three-three program — three years of undergraduate school and three years of law school — in the 1960s but terminated the program when the American Bar Association required students to have an undergraduate degree before attending law school, he says. The law school is meeting ABA requirements by counting the student’s first year of law school as their fourth year of undergraduate school, he says. “It seems that what is old is new again,” he says. “That fits this program very aptly.” Undergraduate tuition is $23,426 for full-time students and $28,800 for full-time law students, according to the university’s and the law school’s websites. The early admission students will pay law school tuition for their fourth year of school and will attend the same classes as other first-year law students, Cantú says. The students will receive both degrees when they complete the six-year program, he says. He notes that the program also will be an effective recruiting tool for the undergraduate school. Currently, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University in College Station are the schools providing the greatest number of students to St. Mary’s law school, he says. The university’s board of trustees named the Nelson Wolff Law Early Admission Program for Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who graduated from St. Mary’s in 1966 with bachelor’s and law degrees, Cantú says. Wolff did not return a telephone call seeking comment. “He is a very, very popular political figure in this town,” Cantú says. “He is the county judge, has been a great friend to the university and to the law school, and he attended the law school under this three-three program back when it was in place.”

-- Jeanne Graham

Comments

[Vandal Hurricane]

Wow, and with the money save for that whole extra year thoese lucky St Mary's law grad will be able to afford to buy a bigger car to sleep in and plan the greatest mail heist in the world, ala these guys: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2011/12/30/fighting-bad-mail-carriers-holiday-package-thieves/