Pepperdine University School of Law has launched a two-year J.D. program:

Pepperdine
University School of Law is excited to announce an accelerated,
two-year Juris Doctor (JD) degree option that is paired with the
opportunity to simultaneously earn a certificate from the number one
ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. This distinctive and
innovative approach blends rigorous legal education at a leading
institution with significant skills and training geared toward
practicing law in the 21st century. Additional information regarding
this option can be found here.

As
you think about where to attend law school, imagine what it would be
like to study on a hill nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains,
overlooking the beach in Malibu.  Imagine what it would be like to
undergo the rigors of law school in a place filled with people who truly
care about you and your success.

At Pepperdine, we are
dedicated to developing students who will embody academic excellence and
a strong sense of service.  This is accomplished in an atmosphere that
promotes cooperation over competition and values reconciliation over
confrontation.  Our distinguished faculty offers a diverse and varied
curriculum, while maintaining supportive and personal contact with
students.

We are extremely proud that The Princeton Review
has ranked our law school number one in the country for faculty
accessibility for the past five years in a row.  Making this recognition
particularly meaningful to us is that this ranking is based on direct
input from law students.

The Accelerated Option provides graduates with the opportunity to
enter the workforce a year before the traditional three-year degree
program, gaining an early advantage on the path to professional success.
After an initial summer session beginning in May, the Accelerated
Option students will enroll in the regular first year JD classes and
continue to matriculate in the regular JD program. In total, the
accelerated students will take classes in four semesters and two summer
sessions. Students in the Accelerated Option will have a more fixed
schedule, but they will also have the opportunity to select from a broad
range of elective courses, clinics, externships, all student-edited
journals (including the Pepperdine Law Review), and inter-school moot
court and trial competitions.

The Accelerated Option is a unique offering and is among only a few
of its kind in the country. With the rising cost of legal education in
mind, the two-year approach enables students to earn income from their
careers sooner and may enable students to limit some living expenses.
Tuition costs under the Accelerated Option are not necessarily less than
under the regular JD, as the overall unit requirements are the same.

In the initial summer, the accelerated students will attend classes
offered by Pepperdine University School of Law's highly regarded Straus
Institute for Dispute Resolution. These classes will meet during the
evening and on Saturday. Because accelerated students will have such
intensive involvement in the Institute, they will also be able to earn a
Certificate in Dispute Resolution.

• Application deadline: April 1
• This year the summer session, which is required, will begin on May 20, and will continue through August 3