New HBCU Partnership Speeds Path to Law School

As concerns about college affordability and student debt continue to rattle higher education, institutions are increasingly exploring accelerated degree pathways that allow students to reach their career goals more quickly and at a lower cost.

Grambling State University and Southern University Law Center announced Thursday a new 3+3 Accelerated Law Program that will allow eligible students to earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years, rather than the traditional seven. University leaders said the pathway is designed to reduce barriers to legal education by providing structured advising, early exposure to the legal profession and a guaranteed admissions pathway for students who meet program requirements.

Approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents, the partnership between the two historically Black institutions aims to strengthen the pipeline of attorneys in the state while helping students navigate the transition from undergraduate education to law school.

Grambling State President Martin Lemelle said students are expected to save between $16,000 and $18,000 in tuition and fees by completing their undergraduate and law degrees in six years.

Connie Walton, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said university officials estimate total savings could reach roughly $100,000 when housing, meals and other educational expenses are included.

“That’s a huge savings,” Walton said. “Then, when you consider that students will likely apply to fewer law schools, there are additional savings associated with reduced application fees.”

On the fast track: The 3+3 Accelerated Law Program will allow eligible students to earn a bachelor’s degree in three years, followed by a law degree.

Walton said the 3+3 model will include built-in student success supports across both campuses. At Southern University Law Center, undergraduates will participate in prelaw programming, workshops and mentoring. At Grambling State, they will receive targeted advising from a designated faculty adviser along with LSAT preparation and other structured support.

“The LSAT has two components now: the multiple-choice logical reasoning part, and the other one is the student has to be able to write and make an argument,” Walton said. “That’s going to force us at Grambling State University to make sure that the writing that we require of our students who’ve been selected for the program will develop the skills that are needed in making a good argument.”

Walton said the 3+3 structure is one of several accelerated pathways Grambling State offers across disciplines, including a partnership with Logan University’s College of Chiropractic that allows biology majors to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a doctor of chiropractic in six years.

The law program will begin recruiting students as early as their first year, Lemelle said; advising and course selection are designed so that by sophomore year, students are already on a track aligned with law school prerequisites at Southern University Law Center.

“If you plan them correctly, you put the resources behind it, you’re going to realize success, and the student will realize success,” Lemelle said.

Preparing future lawyers: Lemelle said the partnership supports Grambling State’s broader efforts to increase graduate and professional school opportunities, strengthen career readiness, and connect students with programs that prepare them for service beyond the undergraduate experience.

He noted that Southern University Law Center posted a roughly 75 percent bar passage rate in July 2025, surpassing Tulane Law School’s 69 percent rate. The result, he said, gives participating students a direct pathway to a law school with a demonstrated record of preparing graduates for the legal profession.

“The need for ensuring that affordability is always a core component for long-term success—these types of factors give us a very sustainable model that, for years to come, students will have the benefit of both the Grambling and the Southern experience with that powerful degree package,” Lemelle said.

Walton said the program’s early exposure to legal education can help students develop a stronger sense of professional identity and remain committed to pursuing careers in law.

“There are a whole lot of role models that they will be exposed to by being a part of this degree program with Southern University Law Center. They’ll be able to see themselves in some of their instructors and the organizers of this particular program, as well as graduates from the program,” Walton said. “When a student can identify with the profession, the sooner they can develop that identity and they’re going to stick with that path.”

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