Washington and Lee has created a third year program designed to give students the same kind of experience a first year associate would get. Students will spend the year handling cases, simulated and real, instead of studying law from books. The program is optional – students can choose a more traditional third year experience – but over half the third year class opted in and applications for admission this year were up 33 percent from last year with a majority of the applicants citing this new program as a reason for applying.