Follow your ambitions. Make the most of your college education and set yourself up for a law career with a dual degree program.
Bachelor's Degree and Juris Doctor
180 to 190
6 years
Salem
By completing both his undergraduate degree and first year of law school at the same time, Colby Alexander BA’24, JD’26 is building a strong foundation for a future career in criminal prosecution and public service.
Through coursework in politics, policy, law and ethics, Colby explored criminal justice from multiple perspectives, including restorative justice and prosecution. Combined with his clerkship experience and close connections to Oregon’s legal community, his education is preparing him for a future in the courtroom and public service.
Alumni of the dual degree program have gone on to have thriving law careers. From serving as in-house counsel to arguing cases in front of Oregon’s highest court, Willamette graduates are having an impact. Find out more about our students’ achievements and how a Willamette education helped them get their start.
From Willamette to the JAG Corps
Henry Harder turned involvement on campus into an internship with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps where he developed leadership and team skills alongside learning about different aspects of law. His work led to additional offers from JAG, launching his career before graduation.
Triple Bearcat
Karina Shipman pursued her BA, JD, and MBA Willamette University, where she completed all three degrees in seven years. With the support of faculty and a meticulous course schedule, she balanced the challenging program and is now a healthcare attorney in Portland, ME.
The law school faculty is made up of accomplished scholars and highly respected educators. They have served as legal counsel in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, bringing a wealth of experience and professional connections to the classroom. They serve as mentors for aspiring lawyers, offering career advice and personalized support.
Professor Dobbins brings experience practicing law in both the public and private sectors to the classroom. He is a member of the bar of the State of Oregon, the U.S. Supreme Court, and eight different U.S. Courts of Appeals. His research focuses on civil procedure, administrative law, and appellate process and theory.
Professor Davidson’s scholarship explores international and comparative criminal law, transitional justice, and human rights, with a focus on domestic responses to atrocity crimes and legal responses to sexual and gender-based violence. She clerked for Judge Alfred T. Goodwin of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and previously practiced as both a federal public defender in Portland and a litigation associate in San Francisco.
Professor Nafziger has held many prominent positions over the course of his career including Administrative Director of the American Society of International Law. He was the first recipient of the Willamette University President’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and received an award for extraordinary contributions from the American Society of Comparative Law.
While students are not required to select a specific undergraduate major, they are encouraged to consider majors that can help them prepare for the rigorous pace of law school. Once admitted into the law program, students take courses that cover a variety of legal aspects from constitutional and civil procedure to torts and contracts. With the wide array of courses available, students are able to specialize their focus and work toward a specific legal career.
Survey of laws governing marriage and divorce. Includes jurisdiction; consequences; economic relations; alimony, support and separation agreements; status of the child; juvenile court proceedings as they affect child custody and the parent-child relationship.
Race, racism, and American law. Included are construction and application of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution, the original civil rights statutes, and modern civil rights legislation. Emphasis on the law's successes and failures in addressing discrimination in housing, education, voting, public accommodations, and interracial sex and marriage.
Students will follow a pathway to earn both their undergraduate and law degrees in a total of six years. With the accelerated program, students complete their first year of law school requirements during their senior year of undergrad.
To be considered for the BA/JD program, applicants must meet the requirements listed for the Willamette University Law School Bound Program on the Direct Admission program page.
All admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships. Students who choose an accelerated program receive their undergraduate financial aid for eight semesters and are charged at the undergraduate tuition rate.
Willamette University