Top Law Schools

We are 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. The Accelerated Option may be a good choice for motivated students willing to work at a faster pace to finish law school sooner.

Jump Start Your Legal Career

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.

Benefit from an Economical Approach

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.

Earn a Certificate from the #1 Dispute Resolution Program in the Nation

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.

Eligibility and How to Elect the Accelerated Option

Since you already have been offered admission to Pepperdine University School of Law, you are eligible to secure a seat under the Accelerated Option.

Pepperdine wrote:Tuition costs under the Accelerated Option are not necessarily less than under the regular JD, as the overall unit requirements are the same.

Crowing wrote:

Pepperdine wrote:Tuition costs under the Accelerated Option are not necessarily less than under the regular JD, as the overall unit requirements are the same.

Well that certainly defeats a major purpose of having a 2-year program.

akasabian wrote:I think part of the issue is that you are stuck in school during the summer, instead of getting internships and the likes.

magictheatre wrote:

akasabian wrote:I think part of the issue is that you are stuck in school during the summer, instead of getting internships and the likes.

Is 1L internship that important unless you land it at BigLaw that may extend to a 2L offer and maybe even a job. From what I understand, and I shd mention I'm still a 0L so could be wrong, a great 1L internship that counts is extremely hard specially if your not from T-14 and most of these internships are also unpaid. This would be better if a current student could put some insight into how valuable a 1L internship is. Specially considering unlike most other JD students you would be working and earning in your third year.

magictheatre wrote:

akasabian wrote:I think part of the issue is that you are stuck in school during the summer, instead of getting internships and the likes.

Is 1L internship that important unless you land it at BigLaw that may extend to a 2L offer and maybe even a job. From what I understand, and I shd mention I'm still a 0L so could be wrong, a great 1L internship that counts is extremely hard specially if your not from T-14 and most of these internships are also unpaid. This would be better if a current student could put some insight into how valuable a 1L internship is. Specially considering unlike most other JD students you would be working and earning in your third year.

Mr. Jones wrote:Your 1L and 2L internships are largely meaningless unless they are in established biglaw/midlaw programs. Would you really care if you were a hiring attorney whether or not someone has 10 weeks more of experience doing clerical work for a small firm or judge? Probably not.

rad lulz wrote:

Mr. Jones wrote:Your 1L and 2L internships are largely meaningless unless they are in established biglaw/midlaw programs. Would you really care if you were a hiring attorney whether or not someone has 10 weeks more of experience doing clerical work for a small firm or judge? Probably not.

While they're not very meaningful in and of themselves, they are basically the only vehicle students have in being able to articulate a specific interest in a given legal field and such, so in that sense they are important. Plus, when everyone else has one, it looks weird when you don't.

Mr. Jones wrote:

rad lulz wrote:

Mr. Jones wrote:Your 1L and 2L internships are largely meaningless unless they are in established biglaw/midlaw programs. Would you really care if you were a hiring attorney whether or not someone has 10 weeks more of experience doing clerical work for a small firm or judge? Probably not.

While they're not very meaningful in and of themselves, they are basically the only vehicle students have in being able to articulate a specific interest in a given legal field and such, so in that sense they are important. Plus, when everyone else has one, it looks weird when you don't.

Chances are you won't get one that articulates any interest of yours. It will probably be somewhat random. Even if it's at a firm, there's a good chance you'll practice in a different area. It doesn't look that weird when you don't have one, especially if you have prior work experience, because like I said, chances are your work was legally meaningless and only lasted a few weeks/months. Before I went to law school I thought those summer internships were way more important, now that I am graduating I would say they are much less important. As long as you did "something" during the summer (summer school/study abroad) you'll be okay.

timbs4339 wrote:

Mr. Jones wrote:

rad lulz wrote:

Mr. Jones wrote:Your 1L and 2L internships are largely meaningless unless they are in established biglaw/midlaw programs. Would you really care if you were a hiring attorney whether or not someone has 10 weeks more of experience doing clerical work for a small firm or judge? Probably not.

While they're not very meaningful in and of themselves, they are basically the only vehicle students have in being able to articulate a specific interest in a given legal field and such, so in that sense they are important. Plus, when everyone else has one, it looks weird when you don't.

Chances are you won't get one that articulates any interest of yours. It will probably be somewhat random. Even if it's at a firm, there's a good chance you'll practice in a different area. It doesn't look that weird when you don't have one, especially if you have prior work experience, because like I said, chances are your work was legally meaningless and only lasted a few weeks/months. Before I went to law school I thought those summer internships were way more important, now that I am graduating I would say they are much less important. As long as you did "something" during the summer (summer school/study abroad) you'll be okay.

You'd be surprised actually. Especially in the 3L job search when positions are much more targeted. That 1L summer of prosecution experience might come in handy.