Akron Law's Summer Start program

Begin your JD studies in late May rather than August! Get a head start on your degree with small classes and reduced course load.

Begin in May with ‘Summer Start’

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

Participants in the Summer Start program will take two first-year courses in small class sections over the summer. This provides those students the option to get a head start on their graduation requirements by enrolling during the fall and spring semesters of their first year in two required classes normally reserved for upper-division students. Alternatively, students can choose to take a reduced course load during the regular academic year.

Who is eligible for Summer Start?

Any student who meets the criteria for admission to Akron Law’s full-time or part-time JD program is eligible for the Summer Start program. However, the program will be capped at 30 students to ensure a small-class experience for the participants, so interested applicants should apply early.  The admissions criteria and requirements are the same as for our traditional August start option.

The Summer Start program is not available to non-JD students.

ABC affiliate in Cleveland reports on Summer Start

How do I apply?

Complete a special Summer Start application for admission to Akron Law through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). If you have already applied or been accepted for admission, send an email to lawadmissions@bj7dian.com or contact Anthony Colucci, Director of Admissions, at 1-800-425-7668 to indicate your interest in the Summer Start program. 

Summer Start enrollment will be offered to interested applicants on a rolling basis. Applicants can claim a place in the Summer Start class by applying for the program and submitting their seat deposits. Again, the program is capped at 30 students, and only the first 30 students to submit seat deposits for the Summer Start class will be guaranteed a place in the program.

Application deadline

The application deadline for the Summer Start program is March 31 (the same date as our fall admission application deadline). Late applications may be possible depending on space availability.

Note that the Summer Start program may be canceled if enrollment is insufficient. If it is necessary to cancel the program, we will notify all enrolled students as soon as practicable and in no event later than April 30.

Will I be eligible for student loans during the summer?

Most Summer Start students will be eligible for financial aid during the summer, including federally guaranteed student loans.  To determine how much financial aid you qualify for, contact the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid and tell them that you are interested in the School of Law’s Summer Start program.

What courses will I take in the summer?

Summer Start students will take two required first-year courses during the summer totaling between 6 and 8 credit hours. The course offerings will be determined each year and are subject to change.

Summer Start courses will be held during the 10-week summer semester beginning in late May and ending in early August. They will be scheduled between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. A complete Summer Start schedule will be made available to enrolled students prior to the start of the program.

Summer Start students will be required to participate in a special orientation program in late May, prior to the beginning of classes, as well as the regular first-year orientation program in late August.

What courses will I take the rest of my first year?

Summer Start students have two options for the fall and spring semesters of their first year in the JD program:

• You can get a head start on your degree requirements by taking up to six credits’ worth of upper-division required courses in place of the courses you took during the summer.
• You can take a reduced course load, completing your first year of law school at a more relaxed pace.

Summer Start students will take the remaining required first-year courses (totaling between 20 and 22 credits for full-time students) in assigned sections alongside other first-year law students. See the required first-year curriculum.