Law School Graduate Grateful for BVU Accelerated Pre-Law Program

Experiential learning opportunities shaped student’s penchant for service. Taylor Loy, Creighton University School of Law graduate, now serves the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a grants and contracts specialist.

Taylor Loy knew she’d pursue a pre-law bachelor’s degree as an undergraduate student. In visiting Buena Vista University, Loy learned she could earn her degree while enrolled in law school through BVU’s 3+3 accelerated program whereupon undergraduates earn their bachelor’s degree during their first year of law school.

“I was looking at a couple of other colleges that had similar 3+3 programs, but the concept was new, and I was nervous how it might work,” says Loy.

She was then introduced to BVU’s program by Lisa Best, J.D., Dean of the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business and Professor of Business Law and Political Science. What Loy discovered was a highly developed step-by-step plan leading to an accelerated entrance to law school.

Loy said BVU’s beautiful campus and vibrant community made her feel at home.

The Indianola native is now at home in Omaha, Neb., where, at age 24, she’s already graduated from Creighton University School of Law having received a Pro Bono service distinction, awarded to students who complete at least 50 hours of law-related service prior to their graduation. Loy now works serving the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a grants and contracts specialist.

“Even though I started law school earlier than most students, I felt prepared and comfortable going in,” Loy says. “The program at BVU was perfect for me as it covered legal research and writing, so I already had an introduction to much of what we’d cover in my first year of law school. The business law course at BVU, taught by Dr. Best, introduced me to contracts. I also took logic, which helps in preparing for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test).”

Additional courses such as constitutional law and public policy introduced Loy to key areas she would later study in law school.

“As one of our first 3+3 students, Taylor worked hard to develop her knowledge and skills in preparation for the next big step: law school. While at BVU, Taylor excelled in academics and was dedicated to using her time and talent in service of others.”

Lisa Best, J.D., Dean of the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business and Professor of Business Law and Political Science

Loy, winner of the prestigious Harry Blackmun Award at BVU, presented to an outstanding prelaw student each year, participated in several Alternative Week of Offsite Learning (AWOL) opportunities as an undergraduate. One AWOL trip saw Loy and her peers working with girls on a Native American reservation in South Dakota in advance of a prom on the reservation. Another AWOL experience took place in Washington, D.C., as Loy and her BVU friends worked in a soup kitchen and served homeless persons.

When Loy earned the Neil Ball Service Award named in memory of a longtime BVU staff member, she worked to create small food pantries stocked with free food items for those in need. The project helped address a topic Loy was passionate about: food insecurity.

Loy also completed an internship with the Buena Vista County Attorney’s Office, helped plan Buenafication Day (BVU’s largest day of community service), served with Student M.O.V.E. (Mobilizing Outreach & Volunteer Efforts), and participated in Mock Trial.

“As one of our first 3+3 students, Taylor worked hard to develop her knowledge and skills in preparation for the next big step: law school,” Best says. “While at BVU, Taylor excelled in academics and was dedicated to using her time and talent in service of others. It is no surprise Taylor has gone on to become such an impressive young professional who exemplifies BVU’s motto, ‘Education for Service.’”

As she begins her career, Loy reflects with fondness on her time as BVU’s first 3+3 law school student, stating how grateful she remains for the University’s commitment to small class sizes that allow students to build relationships with classmates and professors.

“I always felt far more comfortable in a class of 10 to 15 people than in one with 200 people in a lecture hall,” she says. “At BVU, our class sizes allowed us to get to know our professors much better. And our professors were always open to having a discussion with any student who needed assistance in understanding something we were covering.”

“When Dr. Bradley Best (BVU Professor of Political Science) and I nominated Taylor for the Harry Blackmun Award, we closed the letter with the statement: ‘We are confident that a decade from now, Taylor will be known as an active, hardworking member of the bar, serving the profession with dignity and excellence,’” Lisa Best says.

“That is exactly what has happened,” Best concludes. “We are excited to see all of the wonderful ways in which Taylor will help make the world a better place.”

Tags: