Why is the School of Law on a semester system when SU's other schools and colleges are on quarters? 

September 10, 2013

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Law school's academic calendar

 Q:  Why is the School of Law on a semester system when SU's other schools and colleges are on quarters?

 A:  While many of us on campus are clinging to the last few shreds of summer, our colleagues in the law school have been back at it for a few weeks having begun their fall semester in on Aug. 26. The School of Law, which was on a semester system when they were part of the University of Puget Sound, opted to maintain that academic calendar when Seattle University assumed sponsorship of the school in the mid-1990s. In fact, the majority of law schools in the country are on a semester system; only a handful are on quarters. One reason is that law students and professors benefit from having 14 weeks to cover the course work. The semester system also allows graduates of the law school two months to study for the state bar exams, which are held in late July.

Thanks to Matt Byers in the Office of Information Technology for posing this question, and to Leann Wagele in the law school for the answer. If you have a question for Answer Me This, please send it to thecommons@seattleu.edu.