Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cabrini College, signed the agreements at a ceremony at Widener joined by Widener representatives Stephen C. Wilhite, D.Phil., senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; Christian Johnson, dean of Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg, Pa., and Rodney Smolla, dean of Widener University Delaware Law School in Wilmington, Del.
“Cabrini and Widener share a common mission that is about civic engagement and social justice,” Gingerich said. “There is the justice system and there is social justice. A lot of the time, we may think that the justice system is not working for people. This partnership joins those two concepts.”
The 3+3 Early Admission Program allows qualified Cabrini students to begin their studies at either Commonwealth Law School or Delaware Law School in what would normally be their senior year of undergraduate studies. Students must complete all major and core courses and 75 percent of their bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 grade point average before enrolling at Widener. They must also fulfill all other admissions requirements.
Through the Express Admission Program, Cabrini students with a 3.0 grade point average will be admitted to Widener upon completion of all undergraduate degree requirements. Students must also meet or exceed the median LSAT score of the current law school entering class and fulfill other admissions requirements.
Johnson touted externship opportunities available to Cabrini students who come to Commonwealth Law School, and invited students and faculty to visit the law school when they come to Harrisburg. “We’re excited about this agreement,” Johnson said.
Smolla echoed Johnson’s sentiment about the partnership with Cabrini and said he was looking forward to working with the college. He said Cabrini students who earn degrees from Delaware Law School will be “entering a profession with enormous opportunities for meaningful lives."
Since 2008, 19 Cabrini graduates have matriculated into law school at Widener, a metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Cabrini also has articulation agreements with Widener for graduate studies in human sexuality and social work, and tourism and hospitality. Widener has similar articulation agreements for its law schools with The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Elizabethtown College, and for its own undergraduate students.
The Delaware Law School is the First State’s only law school, providing juris doctor, legal graduate and paralegal degree programs with an emphasis on developing legal professionals who reflect the Delaware Way and its traditions of civility, integrity and mutual respect. The school offers signature programs in corporate and business law, environmental law, family health law and policy, and trial advocacy.
Widener Law Commonwealth is the Pennsylvania capital’s only law school, with signature programs available through its Law & Government Institute and Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, and additional certificate programs in advocacy and business advising. It offers an exceptional learning experience that is personal, practical, and professional.
About Cabrini College
Students do extraordinary things at Cabrini College, a residential Catholic college welcoming learners of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. Since its founding in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the College has provided a transformational Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice.
Cabrini enrolls about 1,300 undergraduates in more than 30 majors, pre‑professional programs, concentrations and minors on its serene 112‑acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The College also enrolls about 1,100 students in graduate and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, Pa., and at 13 off‑site locations.