Emory & Henry College, Meadowview Va., students hoping to become lawyers will have a faster path to completion of their degrees following an agreement with Ohio Northern University.

The 3 3 Legal Education Admissions Program ("LEAP) will allow students to complete their undergraduate education and their law degree training in six years instead of the normally required seven years of study.

Eligible students must be majoring in political science (B.A.), political science - law and politics (B.A.) or sociology - crime and society (B.A.) while at Emory & Henry College.

This agreement solidifies a nearly two-decade informal relationship between the institutions. Under the agreement, students with the appropriate test scores and GPA will be guaranteed admission to Ohio Northern University’s Pettit College of Law.

“Emory & Henry students enjoy the familiarity of Ohio Northern Law School as the two schools are in rural communities, have Methodist affiliations and trace their history back to the 19th century,” said David Crago, university provost, vice-president of academic affairs and professor of law at Ohio Northern University.

Crago says that E&H students come to ONU well prepared, and many E&H graduates have gone on to successful law practices all across the country.

“For me, Ohio Northern is a great option,” said Taylor Fisher, a senior from Mechanicsville, Va. “There are many similarities between the two schools, which make the transition to law school less intimidating.”

Successful Graduates

Dr. Joe Lane, an E&H professor in the Political Science Department and pre-law advisor, says over his 16 years of teaching at Emory & Henry, he has watched 16 students succeed at ONU.

“We’ve had an assistant attorney general of Virginia, an associate United States attorney based in Roanoke, and the associate Commonwealth attorney in Smyth County graduate from ONU after attending Emory & Henry.”

The enrollment agreement is scheduled to last for five years but is eligible for renewal upon completion.