Akron Law's Spring Start program

Our Spring Start program gives you the flexibility to start at Akron Law in January.

Begin in January with ‘Spring Start’

We want to make the first year of law school more flexible and accessible to both traditional and nontraditional students.

How does a ‘Spring Start’ program work?

When you apply for admission, simply check the box on our application for spring semester admission. The deadline for spring semester applications is Nov. 30. We will accept LSAT scores from LSAT administrations up to and including the November LSAT for Spring admission. Due to the timing of the LSAT score release, we do strongly recommend that you contact us if you are planning to apply with a November score so we can best expedite your application review.

Because we understand that life schedules vary, we want to provide you with the flexibility of commencing your studies in January.

The admissions criteria, graduation requirements, and programming we provide are identical for students who commence their legal studies in January and those students who start in August.

To successfully integrate spring start students into the classroom, we provide everyone with an intensive orientation experience together with advanced access to academic success programming and materials at no additional cost.

Reduce your time to degree

Full-time January-start students will take criminal law, property, legislative regulation, and civil procedure during their first spring semester. Torts, contracts, legal writing, and another civil procedure course will follow during the subsequent fall semester.

Part-time students can earn a juris doctor degree in as little as four years. Spring Start program students studying part-time will take contracts and civil procedure during their first semester, two electives during the summer, and then torts, legal writing, and another civil procedure course in the fall.

Advantages of ‘Spring Start’

Students beginning their legal studies in the spring receive all the benefits of a traditional fall start.

1. Scholarships: J.D. candidates admitted for the Spring Start program are eligible for the same guaranteed scholarships offered in the fall. Scholarship information.
2. Don’t delay, get a jump on the market: If you are graduating in December or have been away from school for an extended period of time and simply want to dive back into the classroom eight months before everyone else, then take advantage of a January start.
3. Flexibility: J.D. candidates admitted for the Spring Start program have the flexibility to attend law school full-time, or part-time and can choose between day and evening classes.
4. Affordability: Akron Law is consistently named a “Best Value Law School” by preLaw Magazine for its exceptional faculty, and affordable cost of education, bar passage rates and high placement.
5. Small class size: Akron Law boasts a low faculty-to-student ratio. A spring start will present opportunities for significant interaction between professors and fellow students.
6. Comprehensive orientation program: J.D. candidates starting in the spring will be afforded the unique opportunity to participate in a robust, comprehensive orientation and law school onboarding program. You will also have constant access to our academic success professors throughout your first year and entire career at Akron Law. This includes special workshops, courses, and bar preparation exercises.

Why Akron Law?

Located in a dynamic region renowned for rolling hills, stunning woodlands, famous sporting events, a national park, and 21,000 businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, The University of Akron School of Law provides a broad-based legal education and cutting edge skills training that can prepare you for a professional career in law or other sectors in Ohio, around the United States, or across the world.

Distinguish yourself here through an affordable and high quality education, real practice experience even during your first year of law school, joint degrees, and exposure to top programs.

At Akron Law, we invest in your success as a future professional. We also provide you with an ABA-accredited education, access to the legal community, exceptional teaching, as well as the flexibility to complete your degree quickly or at your own pace.