The College of Law at Syracuse University has entered into an agreement with three historically Black colleges and universities in Atlanta to institute a 3+3 program for students at the HBCUs. Under the agreement students at Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College will spend three years at their undergraduate institution in Atlanta. They will then transfer to the College of Law at Syracuse University for three additional years of study.
Students who complete the program will receive a bachelor’s degree from their HBCU and a juris doctorate from Syracuse University in six years, rather than the traditional seven years. Students who are accepted into the 3+3 program will also be eligible to study for a master’s degree at other Syracuse University schools and colleges, including the top-ranked Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the Newhouse School of Public Communications.
“Partnering with these distinguished HBCU to create a 3+3 program significantly reduces the time and cost required for qualified African-American students to obtain a 21st-century legal education at Syracuse,” says College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise. “This is one of the ways we can address the legal profession’s need for more diversity among the ranks of lawyers.”
In addition to the 3+3 agreements, the Syracuse University College of Law recently expanded its Externship Program to Atlanta to provide field placements in the city and its surroundings, allowing local students to network and to gain experience close to home. The College of Law also has a liaison in Atlanta who will be on campus to meet with students and answer any questions about the program.
