STEUBENVILLE, OH—Responding to the need for more Catholic lawyers capable of defending the natural law tradition, Franciscan University of Steubenville has entered into a partnership with the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for an accelerated juris doctor program.

Earlier in 2017, Franciscan entered into two similar partnerships with The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and Ave Maria School of Law.

In the 3+3 Dual Degree Law Program, qualified students will spend three years at Franciscan University and three years in law school, instead of the traditional seven-year route to a law degree, saving a year of tuition costs.

To qualify for admission into the University of St. Thomas School of Law, a student must maintain a 3.7 GPA while at Franciscan University and take the Law School Admission Test in their final year at the University. The 10 courses taken in the first year of law school will count toward the remaining credits at Franciscan University, and toward the JD, enabling the student to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University and, after two more years of law study, a JD from St. Thomas.

Students in the 3+3 program may major in: political science, history, philosophy, theology, mathematics, anthropology, modern languages, or English, British and American literature concentration, because the curricula of these programs have enough free electives to accommodate the first-year law courses. Other Franciscan University academic programs may also be eligible for the 3+3 partnership program in some circumstances.

When the first partnerships with The Catholic University of America and Ave Maria were announced, Franciscan University President Father Sean O. Sheridan, TOR, JD, JCD, noted the pressing need for lawyers who integrate faith into their professional life.

“Our core curriculum teaches students how to understand the human person from a Catholic perspective, giving an excellent foundation for any student seeking a career in the legal profession,” he said.

Founded in 1999, the University of St. Thomas School of Law offers an innovative curriculum that emphasizes professional formation and the education of the whole person.

For more information about Franciscan University’s 3+3 Dual Degree Law Program, go to franciscan.edu/law or contact Dr. Stephen M. Krason, chairman of the Department of Political Science, at [email protected].