Juris Doctor - Criminal Law (Accelerated)

Suffolk Law's accelerated JD program is designed for the driven, highly motivated student who is ready to take on the challenge of year-round classes to earn their JD one year sooner than traditional students. Due to the intensity of the program, admission is highly selective and enrollment is limited.
Accelerated students at Suffolk Law can earn their degree in 24 months (full-time) or 36 months (part-time evening). They take the same required curriculum as other JD students and complete the same number of credit hours as the traditional JD program, but can finish in less time. Accelerated law students attend classes the summer before and after the first year to shorten the time needed to graduate.
Criminal law covers a vast area of our legal structure. Unlike many other areas of study, students enter law school with some exposure to and ideas about the subject, gathered from past courses in college, news, reports, personal experiences, novels, movies, and television. However, the actual practice of criminal law includes much more than the courtroom drama or police encounter. From the theories of punishment which inform the creation of laws that define crime, through the procedures and rules which regulate the courts through the prosecution and defense of those statutes, into the theory and politics of punishments, the study of criminal law touches every aspect of legal education. Unlike most other areas of legal study, criminal law is public law, meaning that the state is both the accuser and the victim, the state manages the courts and often supplies the attorneys of the accused. Therefore, the good of the generalized population is the touchstone of criminal law, rather than the vindication of the harm against an individual. To that end, criminal law starts with the creation of statutes defining crimes, procedural rules enacted by legislatures or courts, and administrative laws regulating the punishment and incarceration of wrongdoers. Add on top of all of this the state and federal constitutional provisions that ensure that the awesome power of the state, once turned toward a citizen, is restrained and applied equally and fairly. In some cases, international laws and treaties will also act as a check on the ill use of power against an accused.

Applicants are required to take either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), or the JD-Next Exam.
Transcripts and Recommendations - You'll need to submit all college and graduate school transcripts and at least two letters of recommendation through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You must register for this service separately. Letters of recommendation must be sent through LSAC. Letters will not be accepted if sent directly to the Office of Law Admission.
Resume - Applicants are required to submit an updated resume with their application. Upload your resume as part of the LSAC.org application to Suffolk Law School. Any gaps in employment or education should be noted and explained in a separate addendum submitted with the personal statement.
Personal Statement - Upload your personal statement (essay) as part of the LSAC application to Suffolk Law School.
Letter of Recommendation - Submit at least two letters of recommendation (no more than three) through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). A recommendation should come from a college professor if you have graduated from college within the past three years. If you have been out of school longer than three years, your recommendation may come from a professional source. Letters of recommendation should never come from family member or friends. Letters of recommendation must be sent through LSAC. Letters will not be accepted if sent directly to the Office of Law Admission.
Official Academic Transcript -Register for LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You must register for this service separately. This service authenticates all transcripts and recommendations. This is also how we receive your LSAT score(s). You must submit transcripts for all collegiate, graduate and professional study. This is also how we receive your LSAT score(s). Official copies of transcripts for all collegiate, graduate and professional study by the applicant must be sent directly to LSAC from the college or graduate school. Applicants who are still attending an undergraduate institution should submit all transcripts up to the most recent semester completed. All new students must provide a final transcript evidencing a bachelor's degree conferred. This is an ABA requirement.
Although the Law School considers each application in its entirety, applicants with the highest likelihood of admission to the Law School will have attained a score of at least 80 (internet based) or a score of 6.5 on IELTS.