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Bachelor of Arts / Juris Doctor
Accelerate your path to law by pursuing a combined B.A./J.D. program.
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Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes. They act as both advocates and advisors. Attorneys may specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
The combined Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Juris Doctor (J.D.) program allows you to complete your academic training in six years, earning an undergraduate degree from St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Juris Doctor degree from the St. John’s School of Law. In the combined degree program, you complete a minimum of 93 undergraduate credits during your first three years of study and enter St. John's University School of Law at the beginning of your fourth year of study. Courses from the required first year curriculum of the School of Law are counted toward both the B.A. and J.D. degrees. Following completion of your first year of law school with a required minimum 2.0 grade point average, you will receive your bachelor's degree. Upon the completion of the law school curriculum, you will be awarded the Juris Doctor degree.
You should consult the Pre-Law Advisors in St. John’s College for additional information about the specific majors relevant to the program and for an application.
Professional licensure and certification requirements often vary from state to state. St. John's University has not determined requirements for individual states beyond New York. If you reside or plan to reside outside New York, you are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate state licensing agency in that state to seek information and guidance before beginning the program.
- Degree Type
- BA/JD
- Area of Interest
- Law, Policy & Government
- Associated Colleges or Schools
- Program Location
- Queens Campus
- Required Credit Hours
- 182
Admission
As a first-year student, you should inform your Pre-Law Advisor that you are interested in pursuing the B.A./J.D. program. Once you have completed 60 undergraduate credits, you must declare your intention to apply for the combined degree program. A cumulative grade point average of 3.5 (including transfer credits) or higher for all college coursework and a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score is required for admission to the program. A cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or higher for all college coursework is required if you are applying without a LSAT score through the Red Storm Scholars Special Admissions Program.
You will take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than the fall semester of your junior year and will be expected to achieve a minimum score of 160. You will apply to the School of Law before March 1 of your junior year. Please note that acceptance to the combined degree program does not guarantee admission to the School of Law.
For more information about admission to this and other acclaimed undergraduate programs at St. John’s, please visit Undergraduate Admission.
Career Outcomes
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of lawyers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2013 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for legal work is expected to continue as individuals, businesses, and all levels of government require legal services in many areas.
Law firms will continue to be the largest employers of attorneys, however, more price competition may lead many to rethink project staffing to reduce costs to clients. Some corporations may expand their in-house legal departments and there may be an increase in the demand of lawyers in various settings such as financial and insurance firms, consulting firms, and health care providers.
Also, the federal government is likely to continue to need lawyers to prosecute or defend civil cases on behalf of the United States, prosecute criminal cases brought by the federal government, and collect money owed to the federal government. It is projected that budgetary constraints at all levels of government will likely moderate employment growth.
Additional Information
The St. John’s University Pre-Law Advisement program offers individualized advisement and guidance for prospective B.A./J.D. students.
We invite you to contact us:
Joyce Lawlor, M.L.S.
Associate Dean and Pre-Law Advisor
Director, M.A. Global Development and Social Justice
St. John Hall, Room 135 (Queens)
718-990-6129
[email protected]
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