American Law and Legal Systems Major

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Law School Early Admission (3-3) Program

Highly motivated and talented students may complete their undergraduate degree and law school at Hamline’s School of Law in just six years. The Legal Studies Department offers its own 3-3 program, the American Law and Legal Systems Major. Students may instead choose to major in another discipline, but are required to complete the Law School Early Admissions Minor through the Legal Studies Department. Students interested in either 3-3 program should meet with an academic adviser in the relevant department early in their undergraduate career to discuss. No entry form or commitment is required. If you decide partway through your studies that the 3-3 track is not longer right for you, then simply continue on with your studies and graduate in four years.

Objective

The objectives of this special program are: (1) to provide exceptional, highly motivated undergraduates who demonstrate academic excellence, maturity, and professionalism with an opportunity to complete their bachelor’s and law degrees in six, instead of the usual seven, years; (2) to integrate the liberal arts education with professional legal training; and (3) to provide a program that will develop legal professionals who are committed to defining and strengthening the moral and ethical values of the legal profession through value-based education.

Successful completion of the 3-3 Program includes:

Registering for and taking the LSAT during their junior year. Materials and scholarship applications are available on line and at the law school.

Fulfilling the Hamline plan, all major requirements, and 100 semester credits by May of their junior year.

Applying for admission to Hamline’s School of Law by March of their junior year and being accepted for the fall class.

Completing and transferring back to the College of Liberal Arts or School of Business 28 credits of successful first-year law school work with a grade of C- or better to earn their bachelor’s degree.

Notes:

Participation in the 3-3 program does not guarantee you law school admission; students must take the LSAT and apply to and be accepted to Hamline’s School of Law. Students who are not accepted into law school after three years can complete their undergraduate major and earn their bachelor’s degree in the usual four years. They may, of course, reapply to law school upon completion.

Once students enroll at Hamline’s School of Law, they are no longer eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate student, including the presidential fellowship. However, they are eligible to apply for financial aid and scholarships through the law school.

Transfer Students:

Transfer students are eligible to participate in the law school early admission (LSEA, 3-3) program. For the American Law and Legal Systems Major, they must complete 3 of the 4 required courses at Hamline. For all other 3-3 programs, they must complete a minimum of sixteen (16) credits at Hamline toward their undergraduate major. In all other respects the LSEA program is identical for transfer students.

Major Requirements

The Legal Studies Department offers its own 3-3 program, the American Law and Legal Systems major.

Four (4) required courses

Twenty-eight (28) credits

Twenty-eight (28) credits taken in the first year of law school comprise the remainder of the coursework for this major.

An undergraduate minor is required

Complete a minor outside of the legal studies department. The minor must be one that could become the student’s major should she or he opt out of the program or not be accepted for early admission by the School of Law.