Local University Students Pursue Dreams of Law School

OU/Wayne Law Partnership Helps Students Pursue Dreams of Law School 

Oakland University (OU) students Alanna Jonna and Megan Denha will have a chance to pursue their lifelong dream of attending law school this fall, thanks to a partnership between Oakland University and Wayne State University Law School that allows students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in just six years.

“I am beyond excited to begin in the fall and I’m especially happy to have my friend Megan with me,” Jonna said. “We have been friends since first grade, so to begin law school together is definitely something we are both really proud of.”

Traditionally, earning a bachelor’s degree followed by a law degree would take seven years. Under the terms of the agreement, OU students can shave a year off the traditional timeline and save close to $14,000 in tuition costs.

Megan Denha and Alanna Jonna

Megan Denha and Alanna Jonna

“The BIS/Wayne Law arrangement is a wonderful opportunity for students,” said Dr. David Lau, an associate professor in communication at OU and the interim director for the Bachelor of Integrative Studies (BIS) program. “If they qualify, they are able to use their first year of law school toward the completion of their undergraduate degree at OU.”

To apply, Oakland University students must have completed a minimum of 75 credits in an approved undergraduate degree. Students also must take the Law School Admission Test and meet all other Wayne Law admissions requirements.

“This is a challenging program for students to qualify for,” Lau said. “They must have a 3.4 minimum grade point average, successfully apply to the BIS program and obtain a high enough LSAT score to gain admission to Wayne Law. Both of these students accomplished this feat, which sets a great positive example that the BIS/Wayne law partnership actually works.”

Jonna and Denha both learned about the program during their first year at OU.

“I began as a business marketing major because I always loved business and figured it would help me down the line if I ever wanted to pursue business law,” Jonna said. “During the beginning of my winter semester freshman year, I saw a letter explaining the partnership between OU and Wayne Law. I instantly made an appointment with Dr. Lau in order to find out the details and qualifications for the program.”

Denha also started by majoring in business, although she always dreamed of becoming an attorney.

“It was during the first semester of my freshman year at OU that I became aware of the OU/Wayne Law program,” she said. “In all honesty, it sounded too good to be true. When I realized that I would be able to finish my undergraduate degree in two years as opposed to three, I was ecstatic to say the least. This program was not only going to save me time, but a year of tuition money.”

Both agreed that the Wayne Law Partnership was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.

“I have taken so much away from being a part of this program,” Denha said. “I am thrilled to begin my journey at Wayne Law this fall and see what this new field of knowledge has to offer.”

For more information about the OU/Wayne Law Partnership, contact David Lau at (248) 370-3229 or lau@oakland.edu.

 

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