Katie Zura is in her second year of law school, having joined the College of Law through the 3+3 Accelerated program as a political science major at UToledo.
Her aspirations to become a lawyer took shape during her junior year of high school. An advanced placement government class ignited her passion for the legal sphere and its interaction with governance. Expressing her desire to drive change, she found her calling in practicing law.
Through the College of Law’s 3+3 Accelerated program, Katie Zura graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in May and began her second year of law school this fall.
During an undergraduate admitted student event she met Dr. Sam Nelson, an associate professor of political science, who told her about the 3+3 Accelerated program that accelerates a student’s academic pathway to complete a juris doctor.
Zura’s decision to embark on this path was nearly instantaneous.
“I pretty much decided right there that I wanted to do the program,” she said. “So when it came time to build my schedule and my three years it was much easier to look at it holistically.”
Zura first connected with the College of Law through recruitment events.
“I had toured other schools but feeling like I would already have a familiar face on campus with a faculty member made Toledo stand out from an academic perspective,” she said.
She originally chose UToledo for her undergraduate studies due to the sense of community and her familiarity with campus. While she found the admission process stressful, she was able to lean on Nelson, financial aid and the law admissions team for guidance and support.
“Once I was officially done with undergrad classes and was formally accepted to the College of Law, I found the transition smooth,” Zura said. “I was fully welcomed and treated as a law student. During my fourth year, I did not have any undergraduate classes and instead had all law courses.”
Comparing the academic demands between undergraduate and law school, Zura acknowledges the increased rigor of law courses, including the increased use of “cold calling” during class and the change in exam scheduling, usually having only a final exam in a class at the end of a semester instead of multiple smaller exams throughout.
Zura, who received her bachelor’s degree in May, said her undergrad preparation readied her for these changes.
“I felt that I had the stamina to read every night for class and, based on the skills I learned in political science, I was then able to synthesize the information,” Zura said. “I also think because of all the essays and research papers I wrote in undergrad, my lawyering skills class became one of my favorites.”
The accelerated program has been pivotal in her journey, offering financial savings, early networking opportunities and a streamlined path to her legal aspirations.
“I would 100% recommend this program to other students,” Zura said. “It will challenge you, but being able to complete undergrad sooner and prioritize your goals makes it so worth it.”
The College of Law launched the 3+3 Accelerated program in 2018. Five students who started at the College of Law through the program have earned their juris doctor, and there are currently nine law students who started in the 3+3 program. The program offers undergraduate students at partnering institutions the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in just six years, effectively cutting down the typical seven-year timeline.
For more information on the 3+3 Accelerated Degree program, contact the admissions team at law.admissions@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4131.
