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UAlbany, HVCC, Albany Law School Launch “Legal Studies Pathway Program”

 Albany Law School President and Dean Alicia Ouellette, Hudson Valley President Roger Ramsammy and UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez sign a Memorandum of Agreement Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at UAlbany's Uptown Campus.
Dave Lucas / WAMC
Albany Law School President and Dean Alicia Ouellette, Hudson Valley President Roger Ramsammy and UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez sign a Memorandum of Agreement Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at UAlbany's Uptown Campus.

Three area institutions have joined forces to offer law students a new opportunity.

The University at Albany, Hudson Valley Community College and Albany Law School have launched a “legal studies pathway program,” which guarantees admitted students the opportunity to earn a degree from each institution, culminating with a Juris Doctor from Albany Law.

Presidents of the three colleges signed a Memorandum of Understanding Wednesday. UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez hailed the moment as "a great partnership, a great collaboration."

“We are coming together to make a significant difference for higher education for our students and for our institutions.”

Rodríguez says the program will help turn out legal professionals who understand society’s current challenges and create transformative opportunities for students who are ready to make a difference in the world.

Hudson Valley President Roger Ramsammy says the new agreement empowers students to dream big, while providing the support, resources and a clear roadmap toward their dreams of a future legal career.

"I believe that University of Albany and Albany Law [are] among the greatest schools in the United States. And it's a privilege for us at Hudson Valley to be part of this transition pathway."

The pathway program builds on previous agreements between Hudson Valley and UAlbany as well as an enhanced affiliation agreement that UAlbany and Albany Law signed in 2015. Albany Law School President and Dean Alicia Ouellette:

"The students that we get from UAlbany are some of our most inspired and driven. Remember that they're doing undergrad in just three years, and they're going right to law school, and we see what they're going to do to change the world. So I'm thrilled now that we're going to expand that partnership, to HVCC."

Oellette points out the new agreement allows Hudson Valley students to have access to programs, events and services at UAlbany while earning an associate degree from HVCC, then transfer to UAlbany to complete a bachelor's degree, and then enroll at Albany Law. Students in the program will have guaranteed admission to Albany Law as long as they complete their UAlbany degree and achieved a GPA and a one-time or average score on the Law School Admission Test that is no lower than the median GPA and LSAT score for the prior year’s entering class at Albany Law.

"The legal studies pathway program is truly a win for all involved. Our schools have a new way to attract and retain diverse and talented students by offering those students a clear path to a rewarding legal career. And the students who choose that pathway, are given the opportunity to study and graduate from three outstanding institutions. I'm certain that this is only the beginning. There'll be more collaborative efforts between our three schools. The more we can work together, the more we can accomplish for our institutions, the more we can serve our students together, the better we can do for our community."

The program started immediately with the memorandum signing.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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