The Legal Education Admission Program (LEAP) provides an opportunity for Grand Valley State University's political science undergraduate students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in about six years of full-time study (three years of political science  studies plus three years of law school). The program was developed by Grand Valley State University’s Political Science department and Michigan State University College of Law (MSU Law). LEAP students who have met all requirements will apply to MSU Law a year early (during the junior year) and, if admitted to the law school, attend MSU Law and work to complete their remaining undergraduate electives with law school courses.

LEAP is open only to students who matriculate as first-year students at Grand Valley. Students interested in LEAP should consult with the LEAP advisor for the major during freshman year to discuss and plan for the LEAP program. Students seeking admission to MSU Law complete a minimum of 91 credits comprised of the required undergraduate courses in their first three years of study at Grand Valley. This includes all university-level requirements as well as the requirements for the specific major and baccalaureate degree. During the fall semester of the academic year that a student plans to apply to MSU Law under LEAP (the student’s junior year), the student should consult with the LEAP advisor for the major to ensure that all university and major requirements will be met by the end of the student's junior year. GVSU will accept as transfer credits applicable to the baccalaureate degree up to 29 semester credits of course work taken at MSU Law in which the student received a grade of 2.0 or better.

To be eligible for consideration for admission to MSU Law under LEAP, a student must be enrolled and on track to complete three-fourths of the credits (91) required for their degree, take the LSAT, and apply to MSU Law before February 1 of the law school matriculation year. Students applying to law school must meet current MSU Law admission standards and requirements, including LSAT and GPA; students should meet with the LEAP advisor for the major to discuss MSU Law admission standards. Students applying to MSU Law must obtain two letters of recommendation from members of the GVSU political science faculty, with one of these letters written by the GVSU political science Pre-law or LEAP advisor; and a character and fitness record that suggests that the applicant has the requisite maturity and character needed for success in law school.

MSU Law will consider a student’s application from the LEAP program, but admission is not guaranteed.

Contact
For additional information on the program, please contact:
Professor Mark Richards
616/331-3457
[email protected]

Suggested Order of Coursework

Year One

• Three to five General Education courses, including Writing
• Any prerequisites required for STA 215 (B.S. majors) or other Mathematical Sciences General Education requirements (B.A. majors)
• Electives (or foreign language for B.A. majors)
• One PLS course at 200-level
• PLS 102 - American Government and Politics (3 credits)
• PLS 103 - Issues in World Politics (3 credits)

Year Two

• Three or four PLS courses at 200- or 300- level
• Three to five General Education courses
• Electives (or foreign language for B.A. majors)
• Supplemental Writing Skills (SWS)
• B.S. majors should take STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits), and
• PLS 300 - Political Analysis (3 credits)

Year Three

• Two or three political science courses at the 200-or 300-level
• Completion of remaining General Education courses
• PLS internship
• PLS 495 Seminar in the Study of Politics (Capstone)
• PLS 350 Comparative Public Opinion (B.S. majors)