The first class of Accelerated J.D. students began classes at Gonzaga University School of Law in June. Twenty-four students are enrolled in the demanding 24-month program.
“These students represent such a wide diversity of life experience,” said Dr. Susan Lee, Director of Admissions. “Each one of them has shown themselves to be extraordinarily well-qualified for this intense new program.”
The class has students from 12 different states, and one international student. 11 of the students were Washington residents before beginning classes, and they represent 20 different undergraduate institutions. Students range in age from 21 to 48.
Academically, the students are on-par with the incoming class of the Fall of 2013, posting a median LSAT score of 154 and a median GPA of 3.27. Many of the students come to Gonzaga Law with significant personal and work experience, including legal assistants, crisis managers, issues advocates, small business owners, and community leaders.
The students are the first to enter the school’s new accelerated J.D. program, the first such program in the Northwest and one of the few in the country. Accelerated students are required to fully participate in Gonzaga’s groundbreaking 4-term legal research and writing program, pro bono service requirements, and an expanded experiential learning curriculum.
“Gonzaga Law has a 101-year long history of embracing innovation,” said Sandra Simpson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. “We are proud of this class of students for showing an extraordinary commitment to pursuing justice and finding solutions with us in this new program.”
