Summary: The University of Maine School of Law is working with the University to develop a pathway for students pursuing a law degree to get there faster.
The University of Maine School of Law will start offering a 3+3 law degree program for students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI). The new option of working towards the law school at a faster rate comes as part of an agreement between the two institutions, according to the press release reported by Maine Biz.
The accelerated pathway allows students in certain majors to study at UMPI for three years and then apply for admission to Maine Law for their juris doctor program. Students that are accepted will then transfer to the campus in Portland where they can finish their last year of undergraduate studies while completing their first year of law school at the same time. The students will not only save money on a year of undergraduate tuition but will also be able to finish all of their studies in six years instead of seven.
The program is only available for students at UMPI in the Business program but they are working to expand it to other programs as well. Maine Law dean Danielle Conway has a goal to improve legal representation in rural communities, which this program fits nicely into. She says, “The 3+3 Baccalaureate/JD Program is an important mechanism for Maine’s public universities and its public and only law school – Maine Law – to work together to deliver another educational opportunity for our students.”
Conway added, “Beyond saving students time and money, this collaboration will promote among students, staff and faculty an awareness about the significance of the rule of law in sustaining all of our communities in Maine.”
The announcement of this new program continues the law school’s directive towards growth. The law school is sending four students to intern with law firms this summer, two more than last year when the Rural Practice Fellows pilot program was started. The students will be in Presque Isle, Calais, Skowhegan and Dover-Foxcroft.
The new program will also help the law school work with local students in developing a law career. Officials from the law school will visit the UMPI campus frequently to give presentations on law and any non-traditional options for those with a law degree. UMPI President Ray Rice said they are excited to partner with the law school “on this seamless pathway from a bachelor’s degree to a law degree. …Not only does it open new doors for our students to careers in law, it also works to address the need for more attorneys practicing in rural Maine and right here in Aroostook County.”
There is a large need for attorneys in the region. Presque Isle, with a population of 9,171, has only 17 attorneys. Aroostook County has just 75 attorneys in total.
Do you think the program will be a popular option? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about other law schools that have an accelerated program, read these articles:
- Ursuline College and University of Findlay Team Up with Cleveland State Law School
- UWF New Accelerated Law School Program
- Two More Law Schools Offer Accelerated Law Programs
Photo: mainelaw.maine.edu