Starting in the fall of 2014, Washburn University will be adopting a new Law School Admissions Program (LEAP) for the undergraduate students, the policy was recently adopted by the Board of Regents in December with the intention to provide a new access to law school for Washburn students.

Washburn is one of the few law schools that still offer a spring enrollment session. Under the new policy, an undergrad would be able to finish off their last semester of their Bachelor’s as a full time student at the Law School.

The candidate will have to finish all of the University required classes, general education classes and major classes in seven semesters. The classes at the Law School would replace roughly 15 hours in upper division credit to meet the requirement for the Bachelor’s degree.

“I’ve been pushing it through for about two years,” said Steve Cann, prelaw coordinator.

The Law school has been approached to include a policy like this before but this is the first time that any such policy will be implemented. Cann comments that enrollment has affected the renewed push to adopt this policy. Cann does not project a high influx of students to apply however.

The projected number of students expected to enroll, get accepted and follow through with all the requirements is a modest number.

“You have to be pretty darn sure you want to go to law school to do all this,” said Cann.

The program was initially designed for incoming freshmen to the University. The prelaw coordinator would work in conjunction with the potential candidate to ensure that all required classes would be done ahead of schedule.

Requirements for incoming freshmen to the program include being placed in the top quartile of the ACT, which would equate to a score of at least 28. The candidate must also have a minimum high school grade point average of a 3.5.

“I probably would have explored the option,” said Michael Kitowski, first year law student.

Kitowski is currently in his second semester at the law school. He was also an undergraduate student at the University. Washburn’s law school is the only school he applied to prior to graduating.

The program is also available to current Washburn students however. Current undergrads must demonstrate the ability to attain an above average score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) of around 155.

This can be done by taking the test prior to applying in the program or by taking a diagnostic LSAT. The student must also maintain a college grade point average in excess of a 3.0.

For more information about the LEAP program contact Steve Cann in Henderson room 223.