In the fall of 2014, the American Bar Association offered an interesting deal to undergraduates with their eyes on law school.
“The ABA created an opportunity for high-achieving students at universities with law schools to apply for the law school at their university without having to take the LSAT, which is otherwise a requirement,” said Marc Falkoff, acting associate dean and associate professor in the NIU College of Law.
NIU Law dubbed the new initiative the “Huskie Honors Program.”
“For students who qualify for that, it’s terrific,” Falkoff added. “You don’t have to study for the exam. You don’t have to pay for the exam. It kind of fast-tracks you into our law school.”
But all good things must come to an end.
Leaders of the ABA are pulling the plug on their brief experiment, but not before one final group of seniors can apply – meaning that NIU seniors who qualify and apply can, if accepted, lock in their spots in Swen Parson Hall for Fall 2016 without sweating the Law School Admission Test or its $175 price tag.
Seniors who qualify either rank in the top 10 percent of their class or maintain GPAs of 3.5 or better. They also scored in the 85th percentile or higher on their ACT or SAT exams.
Admission decisions will be prompt, Falkoff said, and accepted students are eligible for financial assistance. Those admitted will receive a one-time $10,000 scholarship.
Mark Cordes
“We already have a good number of NIU graduates here, and we certainly want to encourage more people to apply. This is truly an extraordinary opportunity,” Falkoff said. “As far as we’re concerned, these are high-achieving students, and these are exactly the kind of students we want.”
NIU seniors who meet the criteria “should give this opportunity serious consideration,” said Mark Cordes, interim dean of the NIU College of Law.
“That’s obviously most true for those thinking about a career in law, but it’s important to realize that legal education prepares people for a variety of careers in today’s global economy,” Cordes said. “And NIU Law is a great place to get that education.”
As the only public law school in the greater Chicago area, NIU Law is a young, dynamic, ABA-accredited law school that offers its diverse student body a broad perspective of the law through high-quality programs and practical-skills training taught by well-respected, dynamic faculty of equal diversity.
For more information, call (815) 753-8595 or email lawadm@niu.edu.
