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PRESS RELEASE
For more information, please contact: Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
Chicago-Kent and Lake Forest College to offer accelerated dual-degree program
CHICAGO--September 21, 2009--Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law and Lake Forest College have announced the establishment of an accelerated degree program that will allow Lake Forest students to complete a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six years -- one year ahead of the average time required to earn both degrees.
Lake Forest students admitted to the accelerated program will spend three years at Lake Forest followed by three years at Chicago-Kent. The fourth-year curriculum for the bachelor's degree will overlap with the first year of law school studies. Students in the program who meet all requirements for their first three years -- including satisfactory completion of all course work for their academic major and achievement of the required minimum undergraduate GPA and law school admission test score -- will be assured of a place in Chicago-Kent's first-year class. The first group of Lake Forest students will be eligible to begin legal studies in the fall of 2012.
Students will pay Lake Forest tuition for the first three years and Chicago-Kent tuition for the remaining three years. Officials at both schools are optimistic about the new program and expect it will lead to additional cross-institutional collaboration. The collaboration is not entirely new: Chicago College of Law was affiliated with Lake Forest College between 1889 and 1900. When that association ended, Chicago College of Law merged with the Kent College of Law to become Chicago-Kent College of Law.
"We're excited about re-establishing our historical relationship with Lake Forest College," said Chicago-Kent Dean Harold J. Krent. "Through the establishment of this dual-degree program, our faculty and students will benefit from greater interaction between the two schools. Moreover, this closer collaboration with Lake Forest will result in attracting additional excellent students to Chicago-Kent."
"Lake Forest College is pleased to partner with Chicago-Kent to offer our ambitious and talented students the chance to get a law degree from a quality institution in less time," said Lake Forest Dean of Faculty Janet McCracken.
Lake Forest College is a national liberal arts institution located 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The college has 1,400 students representing 45 states and 69 countries.
Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. With more than 1,100 students, Chicago-Kent offers full-time and part-time J.D. and LL.M. degree programs as well as joint-degree programs with other IIT units.
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