Program with Vermont Law School

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3 + 3 BA/JD Progam

Vermont Law School and Lake Forest College have established an accelerated admissions program that allows eligible students to complete a Lake Forest bachelor’s degree and a Vermont Law law degree in a total of six years, rather than the usual seven.

Under this arrangement, Vermont Law School permits a limited number of exceptionally well-qualified students to enter the Vermont Law School after completing their junior year of undergraduate study at Lake Forest College. Students participating in this accelerated admission program receive the bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College following successful completion of the first year of law school and the law degree (J.D.) from Vermont Law School after successful completion of the required law school curriculum.

Before entering Vermont Law School (in other words, by the end of the junior year), accelerated-admission students must complete all requirements of their academic major and earn at least 24 course credits toward the bachelor’s degree. Upon successful completion of two full semesters of law school, a maximum of 32 Vermont course credits (8 Lake Forest credits) will be applied as elective credit toward the undergraduate degree.

Students applying for accelerated admission should complete the application process by February 15 of their junior year. It is preferable for applicants to have taken the LSAT by October of their junior year.  Students should contact their pre-law advisor early in the fall semester of sophomore year to discuss the admissions process. At the time of application, students should have completed at least 16 course credits toward the bachelor’s degree.

Juniors at Lake Forest College applying for admission to this accelerated admission program must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Vermont Law School evaluates carefully the quality of the student’s academic record, faculty recommendations, and the applicant’s LSAT score. Successful applicants for accelerated admission usually have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and LSAT score of 159 or higher. When an applicant’s GPA/LSAT profile is at an acceptable level, other qualifications are considered, including extracurricular activities, involvement in cultural or civic affairs, and work experience. Some preference may be given to Lake Forest College majors in Environmental Studies. Vermont Law School welcomes applications to this accelerated admission program from qualified students belonging to groups under-represented in the legal profession.

The applicant’s file, from his/her tenure at Lake Forest College and any other academic institution from which credits were earned and/or applied toward the Lake Forest degree, must contain no evidence of character or fitness concerns that would generally disqualify the applicant from admission into Vermont Law School.