The 3+3 Accelerated Pre-Law program is designed to allow you to earn both a Bachelor’s degree at UMF and Law degree from the University of Maine School of Law in just six years instead of seven.
In this accelerated program, you’ll bypass your final year at UMF and enroll directly in the University of Maine School of Law in Portland. After you successfully complete your first year of law school, you’ll automatically receive 32 credits worth of General Electives that will be counted towards your Bachelor’s degree (in whatever major you had chosen) at UMF.
This program allows you to not only save a year’s worth of UMF tuition and fees, but you’ll be able to enter the legal profession a year earlier than students not enrolled in the program. This is especially valuable given the impending shortage of attorneys in many parts of Maine.
What You’ll Do in Years 1-3 at UMF
- Complete all but 32 credit hours of an approved Bachelor’s degree program (including all major requirements and all General Education requirements) by the end of your third year
- Maintain a GPA of 3.5
- Complete all required Law School application materials by April 1 of your junior year
- Be in good academic standing at UMF upon completion of your junior year
- Meet the standards for the character and fitness portion of the UMaine Law School application
- Submit a letter of recommendation from the UMF Accelerated Pre-Law Program Coordinator with your Law School application
- Achieve an LSAT score that is no lower than the current median LSAT score, as posted on the University of Maine School of Law website
In Years 4-6 at Maine Law
In your first year at Maine Law, you’ll take the following courses that will count toward your UMF degree:
- Civil Procedure
- Criminal Law
- Property
- Torts
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts
- Legal Research and Writing
To complete your J.D. degree, you’ll take all of the other required coursework at Maine Law in years five and six.
Frequently Asked Questions
The earlier you enter the Accelerated Pre-Law program, the better. If you’re applying to UMF, check the Pre-Law box under the Pre-Professional section of your application. Once you’re enrolled at UMF, you should contact your academic advisor or the APL Program Coordinator (michael.schoeppner@maine.edu) as soon as possible.
Yes. Transfer students are eligible, but you must meet all the program requirements listed above. Because all the undergraduate program requirements must be completed in only three years, some transfer students will find it very difficult to complete the Accelerated Pre-Law program without enrolling in several May-term, Summer Session, or Winter Term courses.
UMF and Maine Law generally administer their scholarships and financial-aid packages separately. While you shouldn’t expect your UMF financial aid will carry over, talk with a UMF financial aid advisor to evaluate your individual situation. Maine Law has an assortment of scholarship opportunities.
Some UMF majors with specific course sequencing or senior-year requirements are less compatible with the Accelerated Pre-Law program than others. You should consult with your academic advisor as well as the 3+3 program coordinator to assess the compatibility of your particular major as early in your academic career as possible.
While it’s possible, it’ll be very difficult, depending on your majors and minor, to complete all the requirements for multiple programs in just three years at UMF. If you enroll in Summer Session, Winter Term, and May Term courses you’re more likely to complete a double-major or minor within three years.
No worries. If you’re not granted admission into Maine Law after your junior year you’ll remain enrolled at UMF for your senior year. Then, during your senior year, you can improve your GPA, retake the LSAT, and better enhance your law school application.
Got questions? Ask a professor in this program
Contact Us
Office of Admissions
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine USA 04938-1994
tel 207-778-7050
fax 207-778-8182
TYY (via Maine Relay Service) dial 711
umfadmit@maine.edu
