DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A unique partnership between two universities is helping those seeking a law degree.

Central State University is partnering with the University of Akron’s law school to create a fast track to become a lawyer, the schools announced Wednesday.

Kesha Brooks is an attorney at Wright & Schultes in Dayton and a graduate of Wilberforce University and UD law school.

Brooks took an untraditional route while in school and says that a program like the new program at Central State will be great to help combat the low number of Black lawyers nationwide.

“Had I had that, I think I may have taken a quicker route to law school than I did, but I’m excited for this next generation of students to be able to do that,” Brooks said.

Central State is working with Akron Law to produce the program.

Through the program, students will spend three years at Central State, and then they will take the LSAT. If they get accepted, they can attend Akron Law after their junior year at Central State.

Sidney Williams, the director of the pre-law program at Central State, said it will significantly help their students.

“A year of tuition, not only at Central State, but then also to start your legal career early,” Williams said. “It’s going to be a very good impact for our students.”

Akron Law has partnered with six other universities, but this is the first time the school has partnered with an HBCU.

Both schools are hopeful this program will create a large flow of lawyers for the state and country.

“It’s an amazing group of students that Central State has at the university and as part of their pre-law program,” Barbara DiGiacomo, Akron University Law Associate Dean, said. “So, we wanted to make this opportunity available to those students to give them, you know, a leg up.”