What is the mission of the third year of law school, and whom does it serve—the school or its students? Although challenging and controversial, the development of two-year J.D. (Juris Doctor) programs throughout the country is positively slanted in the right direction—in the motivated students’ favor.

The economic benefit of saving a year’s tuition, as well as cutting student loan debt, is a primary attraction to prospective students, but it is not the only one. When President Obama challenged law schools to lop off a year in 2013, he cited not only the monetary advantage, but the opportunity for students in smaller classes to gain more practical experience and for graduates to jumpstart their careers a year earlier.

The challenge has been accepted in meaningful, innovative ways. In January, New York Law School launched a unique two-year J.D. honors program at a cost of no more than two-thirds of a traditional J.D. Admission comes with at least a $25,000 merit scholarship per year for all students and a guarantee of postgraduate fellowships with firms, companies, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

Students at Pepperdine University School of Law who opt for the two-year degree option can simultaneously earn a certificate from the No. 1 ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. After the initial summer session beginning in May, students continue in the regular J.D. program, completing their degree in four semesters and two summer sessions. Similarly, at Northwestern University, the first top tier law school to offer the accelerated program, students begin classes in May but work during the second summer in internships or clerkships and graduate in May, two calendar years later.

The argument by some law school educators, that the third year is needed for students to become more “rounded,” to “reflect” on the law and “explore” their goals, addresses what should begin in the first year. According to Seth Park, a third-year law student at Emory University, the second and third year focus on electives is of little benefit in later preparing for the bar exam, which is based on the required foundational courses of the first year.

One size does not fit all in legal education. Because not every new enrollee will be a traditional student, fresh from a bachelor’s degree, law schools need to re-evaluate the third-year requirement for all students.