Starting in the fall of 2016, Castleton University, working with Vermont Law School, will be offering a new law program called the “3+2 Program.”  It will allow students to attend Castleton for three years to get their bachelor’s degree before being able to attend Vermont Law School and get their law degree in two years.  

This project is being spearheaded by Dean Jonathan Spiro

“So just five years after graduating high school, they can be a lawyer, and or work in a legal profession,” Spiro said.

This new program allows students to get their bachelor’s degree in only three years, instead of the four years it now takes – and as long as they have a high enough GPA and high enough score on the LSAT, they are guaranteed admission into Vermont State Law School and eligible get their law degree in two years.

“Students will do 92 credits at Castleton, then transfer to Vermont law school, the first 30 credits at Vermont Law School from their first year, count toward Vermont Law School, and towards your BA,” Spiro said.

Students participating in the pre-law program at Castleton will be advised by Professor Rich Clark, who will also advise the new Pre-Law Club on campus.  The club, he said gives students who want to join the program a chance to be with others already in the program.  The club would be student driven and would be driven by what the students want to learn and know Clark said.

“It’s a chance for kids who want to go to law school to share experience, give them chance to study for LSAT together. I hope it will give students a shared ambition, give them a chance to experience it all,” Clark said.

Clark stressed though that any students in any major can join the Pre-law Club and the new pre-law program, but for some majors such as nursing or music as it would be near impossible to get a nursing or music degree in three years.  Spiro also the programs that have confirmed that they will do the program so far are, economics, English, environmental studies, geography, global studies, history, philosophy, communication and political science.

One student looking into law school after she graduates is Frances Okutoro.  She see this new program as a plus for the university and a way that students can gain more success after graduating Castleton.

“I think it will be a great addition to Castleton as students will be able to graduate early,” she said.