Northwestern to Offer 2 Year Law Degree

The Chicago Tribune reports:

In a move that could shake up legal education, Northwestern University School of Law plans to announce Friday that it will begin offering students a chance to get a law degree in two years instead of the traditional three.

Becoming the first top-tier law school—and the third in the country—to offer an accelerated program is the latest change at a school that is departing from the traditional focus on legal reasoning and case-law analysis to also teach skills such as accounting, teamwork and project management.

Law dean David Van Zandt has been considered a maverick as he reshapes the law school to more closely resemble a business school model. He encourages applicant interviews, relies on focus-group feedback from employers when rethinking the curriculum, and has praised consumer rankings as other deans have shunned them.

During Van Zandt's 13-year tenure, Northwestern's law school has climbed to No. 9 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Van Zandt's decision to add a two-year program could give the school an additional competitive advantage by attracting students who want a quicker path to a law salary.

You'll want to read the whole article.Well worth your time.