7-Year Law Student Wants Degree Now to Join Service

Can a student under the seven-year law program receive his A.B. degree before he finishes the seven years? One student who plans to go into the armed forces this spring will put this question before the committee investigating the program on Tuesday.

The committee, which includes Charles Cherington, Edward S. Mason, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration, has been questioning the entire program for several weeks. They are trying to decide whether it is expedient in view of the present international situation.

As the plan now stands, a student takes integrated Law School and College courses for seven years, at the end of which he receives both his A.B. and LL.B. degrees. No exception has over been made before.

But the student, Alan J. Newmark 2L, expects to enter the service before next term, and can qualify for a commission only if he has his College degree.

When asked to comment on his chances, Newmark said, "in reality, the whole seven-year plan is involved." He declined to clarify this statement until after the committee meets.

Mason said, however, that the meeting is just to decide if an exception can be made, not whether the program will continue.

New mark will be the last, now enrolled in the University, to take this special program. Committee meetings may in the future, if not on Tuesday, decide to abolish it altogether or alter it to provide A.B. degrees for men who have full College credits but are drafted before the seven years are up.