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Program Allows Bethany Graduates to Earn Bachelor and Law Degree in Six Years

BETHANY, W.Va. – Students at Bethany College in West Virginia who aspire to a career in the law now have an exciting new pathway to realize their goals.

Under an agreement signed Oct. 8 between Bethany College and Ohio Northern University’s Pettit College of Law, students can complete their undergraduate degree requirements at Bethany in three years as the foundation for admission to law school at Ohio Northern. The partnership effectively enables students to save one year in a course of study that would typically require seven years to complete.

Called a 3+3 Legal Education Advancement Program (LEAP), this dual degree curriculum results in the successful Bethany student receiving both a bachelor’s degree and a juris doctorate in less time than it would otherwise.

The Pettit College of Law at Ohio Northern is one of the premier small law schools in the country. It is distinguished by a liberal arts approach to the law and is a particularly apt choice for Bethany graduates seeking a generalist legal education, excellent opportunities for professional development during law school, and laboratory work that will prepare them for the actual practice of law after graduation.

“This program represents a tremendous opportunity for our students,” says Bethany College provost Dr. Joe Lane. “Bethany students will find many similarities between both schools, not only in the curriculum but in the student experience. And it affords our students with a faster, lower-cost track to a rewarding legal career.”

ONU Law has been recognized as one of the “Most Innovative Law Schools in the Nation” and its placement rates have consistently been strong, oftentimes placing above both state and national averages. With a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, every student is guaranteed a personal legal education with individualized instruction from Orientation through successful completion of the bar exam. And more than 80% of the Class of 2017 were employed in bar passage required or JD-advantage positions within nine months of graduation.

Bethany also maintains a 3+3 agreement with Duquesne University Law School in Pittsburgh.

About Bethany College

Bethany College, founded in 1840, is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.

About the Pettit College of Law

Located in Ada, Ohio, the Claude W. Pettit College of Law at Ohio Northern University was founded in 1885, is the second oldest of nine Ohio law schools. ONU Law has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association since 1948 and a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1965.