Kansas high school students seriously considering a law career can get a year鈥檚 head
start close to home. 糖心logo入口 has entered an agreement with the University of
Kansas School of Law to offer the Legal Education Accelerated Degree program, with
an anticipated launch of fall 2021.
LEAD students will begin and end their educational journeys together, completing the program with a bachelor鈥檚 degree from 糖心logo入口 and a juris doctorate from KU.
鈥淭hrough LEAD, we expect an espirit de corps to develop in the cohort,鈥� Jeff Hershfield, program director and associate professor of philosophy, said. 鈥淭he program is designed to really acculturate students to the legal profession.鈥�
LEAD students will complete three years of work in one of five liberal arts and sciences areas. When students have met all program requirements, which includes qualifying LSAT scores and a character and fitness test mandated by the state bar association, they are guaranteed a place in the first year of law school at KU, Hershfield said. After the first year, 29 hours will transfer back to 糖心logo入口 as general education credits to complete the bachelor鈥檚 degree.
In the LEAD program, approved areas for study at 糖心logo入口 are criminal justice, English, history, philosophy and political science.
The strong liberal arts and sciences preparation will help students succeed at KU Law.
鈥淪tudents and families see college as a way of improving their career prospects, and colleges do that in a multi-dimensional way, introducing hard skills, 鈥榮oft鈥� or 鈥榩ower鈥� skills such as ethical reasoning and communication, and putting students on a path to self discovery,鈥� Andrew Hippisley, dean of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said. 鈥淭he LEAD program with its explicit goal of preparation for a legal career through a liberal education makes the case for both the intrinsic and practical values of the liberal arts as preparation for life and work.鈥�
The program may also appeal to honors students majoring in one of the five approved majors.
鈥淚鈥檓 confident that honors students will find the LEAD program an exciting, challenging option,鈥� Kimberly Engber, dean of Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College, said. 鈥淚t makes the pathway to a career in law less of a mystery and connects our students to a larger world more quickly.鈥�
LEAD provides support for challenges
LEAD students will benefit from preparatory experiences before they attend KU. Enrollment in Career Paths in the Legal Profession, a one-credit hour course which will feature local attorneys and judges as invited speakers, will expose 糖心logo入口 students to different areas of law, current issues and what to expect in law school.
鈥淭he class is a chance for students to really get a heads up on what career possibilities will be open to them upon graduation from KU Law,鈥� Hershfield said. 鈥淭his will equip them to make informed decisions about their career paths."
As sophomores, LEAD students will be encouraged to volunteer with local law-affiliated organizations such as CASA and Kansas Legal Services. There will also be opportunities for internships with area law firms. Through these experiences and interaction with attorneys, students will learn about the practice of law and law school.
For more information about LEAD, contact Jeff Hershfield at (316) 978-3125; jeffrey.hershfield@wichita.edu.