University of London Designates Lebanon Valley College as Recognized Teaching Center for Undergraduate Law Programs— First Accredited College in U.S. to Receive this Distinction

Program Leads to a Three-Year Degree and Certificate in Higher Education in the Common Law

The University of London has recognized Lebanon Valley College as a teaching center for the university’s Undergraduate Law Program. LVC is the first U.S. accredited higher education institution to receive the distinction. Through a new, accelerated three-year program, successful students may earn a bachelor of arts degree in politics from LVC and a University of London Certificate in Higher Education in the Common Law. The program, which will enable LVC students to receive a global credential in law, is set to begin in fall 2019.

“We will prepare our students for the University of London first-year law modules using a hybrid mode of study,” said Dr. Philip Benesch, LVC associate professor of politics and director of the Law and Society Program. “This hybrid approach includes coursework at Lebanon Valley College, substantial distance learning with University of London study materials, and London-administered final exams.” Benesch designed the program and will teach courses preparatory to University of London modules in Legal System and Methods and Public Law. He holds an LL.M degree from the University of London.

Benesch said the program is ideal for high-achieving U.S. and international pre-law students. The Certificate in Common Law will offer U.S. students a preparatory experience equivalent to the first year of a U.K. undergraduate law degree. Graduates of the program will be better prepared for the rigors of law school in the U.S., he said, and will give them the option to complete a full LL.B (Bachelor of Law) from the University of London. Indeed, as LVC has been recognized as a teaching center for the University of London LL.B, the initial program at the Annville, Pennsylvania, campus may be expanded beyond the first-year law modules and may later include majors other than politics.

“This collaboration with LVC is a great development for UG Laws,” said Simon Askey, director of Undergraduate Laws Program, University of London. “It offers the opportunity for LVC undergraduates to broaden the subjects they study to include law, as well as achieving two qualifications in just three years.”

About the University of London

The University of London is one of the largest, most diverse universities in the United Kingdom with more than 120,000 students in London, and an additional 50,000 studying across 180 countries for a University of London degree.

The University of London was established by Royal Charter in 1836 for the public benefit and is recognized globally. Throughout our long history, the University has offered access to a wide range of academic opportunities. As a world leader in higher education, the University has pioneered change in the sector. We were the first university to admit students regardless of their gender, race, or religion; the first to admit women to degree programs; and, in 1865, the first to give students the opportunity to study wherever they are, providing access to higher education across the globe. For almost 200 years, we have improved the lives of millions of people around the world through our unique approach to education, prompting Charles Dickens to term us the “People’s University.”

The University of London is a world-renowned provider of legal education. For more than 150

years the LL.B has provided the first step on a career route for many thousands of practicing

lawyers around the world. Academic direction for the Undergraduate Laws Program is provided by a consortium of outstanding University of London Law Schools: Birkbeck, King’s College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Queen Mary, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and University College London (UCL).

Find out more about the University of London International Programs.

Find out more about Lebanon Valley College’s program.