CHARLOTTE BROCKWAY – Staff Writer, The Acorn, Drew University, Madison, NJ 

Drewids now have yet another option for their bright futures. Starting this fall, students interested in the law can gain admission to Seton Hall University School of Law and New York Law School (NYLS) while still undergraduates. Seton Hall Law and NYLS signed articulation agreements with Drew to give students seeking to enroll in law school in a head start. Students who enroll in one of these dual-admission programs during their first year, and complete the necessary requirements during their time in the Forest, will gain automatic admission to one of the schools. In addition, the agreements with both schools offer an accelerated course of study where Drew students can complete both their Bachelor’s of Arts Degree (B.A.) and law school Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in six years, allowing them to save one year’s worth of tuition and time.

Associate Dean Debra Liebowitz said, “Drew University is pleased and proud to offer these exciting opportunities to its students who are working toward careers in law. Starting in their first year at Drew, students will be able to participate in a program of study that will more quickly prepare them for a promising law career.”

When asked how this idea started, College Enrollment Director Horace Tate said, “it started with the former Vice President Mark Kopenski. He started the conversation. He worked with officials at Seton Hall and NYLS, and consulted with the dean and folks in that office. He knew these two schools were interested and were happy to form an agreement with Drew.”

“The reason for it,” Liebowitz added, “was the context of increasing competition place. We wanted to increase student opportunity for graduate studies. This was a collective conversation both with colleges and at Drew. We will see more of this in higher education. Colleges are trying to do partnerships with other graduate and professional schools. We’re trying to broaden the number of fields so this kind of thing is available to students. We want to try to make it more affordable, more accessible. We can leverage in a way that an individual student can’t.”

Besides the accelerated three-plus-three program at Seton Hall and the four-plus-two program at NYLS, which includes a scholarship, Drew students can also participate in a traditional four-plus-three program at each law school, provided they meet the requirements for law school admission. “We have a pre-law program,” Tate says, “But with this opportunity we have something concrete for law school.” Tate also described the two different options for both Seton Hall and NYLS. For Seton Hall, students have the option of selecting the six-year program, which includes three years at Drew and three years at Seton Hall, wherein they will receive their Drew degree at the end of the first year at Seton Hall or the seven-year program, which includes four years at Drew and three years at Seton Hall. For New York, the same options are available”

“This is a one-win opportunity,” Liebowitz added, “it gives students guaranteed scholarship money to go on to law school. Students would get admitted jointly by dual-degree program.”

Drew has a tradition of offering excellent undergraduate preparation for law school to its undergraduates, a pre-law advisory program and a record of high acceptance rates for students who pursue law school after graduation. These articulation agreements expand on the opportunities offered to Drew students.