Crystal Maldonado's big brown eyes grew bigger when Franklin Pierce Law Center's Daniel Webster Scholar Program was mentioned.

"The program gave us a hands-on experience, which you don't necessarily get out of the classroom," Maldonado said. "We were able to do depositions, interrogatories, we got to work with real court stenographers, so these are things that most law students don't get to do in their regular curriculum."

Maldonado, a 25-year-old Londonderry resident, and 12 other law students were among yesterday's 171-member graduating class, the 33rd in school history. Unlike the other Franklin Pierce graduates, however, this baker's dozen was part of the first class to leave the center equipped with simulated on-the-job training, a two-year program, introduced in 2006, that is exclusive to the school, at least for now.

Preparing briefs, interviewing witnesses, taking depositions and speaking to judges replaced the traditional practice of merely studying textbooks and then taking exams. Volunteers from the legal community participated.

"I absolutely feel like I have an advantage," said Lauren Crisera of Idaho, who will work in the Colorado Public Defender's office. "I actually was working with clients, and I know a lot more what to expect. A lot of people who do the traditional path of law school, you can go completely through law school without any simulation, never talking to a client, never having real-world experience. It's just a lot of book learning. I have an edge."

The 13 Daniel Webster honor students, each of whom applied for the program, were chosen based on grades and work ethic, and they had to maintain at least a B minus in all six of the designated courses.

Those who will practice in the state have passed the bar exam as part of their course work. All 13 Daniel Webster students have already secured jobs.

The program is the brainchild of Linda Dalianis, the first woman to hold a seat on the New Hampshire

Supreme court and yesterday's commencement speaker.

During Dalianis's speech, given under a huge white tent with a small brass band to her left, the former Superior Court Chief Justice looked back at her early days, when she was inspired to make changes that would land at Franklin Pierce years later.

"In 1980 . . . I was appointed to the Superior Court, and promptly forgot about legal education and the development of legal skills," Dalianis said, "as I was too busy trying to learn the whole new vernacular and practice that comes with being a trial judge.

"But as my years on the trial court passed by, I began to be troubled by an obvious lack of skill and preparation in many lawyers who appeared in court. . . . Young lawyers did not know how to address the court, or make an offer of proof or draft a coherent pleading."

Fast forward 25 years, and New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont considered this new method of preparing lawyers. Franklin Pierce embraced it and hired John Garvey three years ago as the director. Garvey worked at the local firm of Sulloway and Hollis in the civil litigation department before moving to Franklin Pierce.

"There was a unique set of circumstances here in terms of trying to do a pilot program and seeing if it works," Garvey said. "We didn't have all the politics that a lot of states might have, like 'whose law school will we try it at and where will it be located?' We have one law school in the state, it's located in the state capital and it has all the resources of the supreme court and Legislature, and all things people need to study law."

Real judges, lawyers, paralegals and court stenographers were brought in to help. Former students acted as plaintiffs and defendants. Real cases were simulated. Real emotions spilled out. Portfolios were kept by the 13 students, judged by state bar examiners after each of four semesters.

It's all part of what Franklin Pierce administrators call the school's flexible and visionary attitude toward learning.

"Franklin Pierce has always been an innovative school," Garvey said. "It's never been afraid to do something before there was a craving, as long as it thought that it was something important."

Garvey gave a lecture on the Daniel Webster Scholar Program recently in Georgia, and said many law schools have since inquired about it.

"People call from all over the country," Garvey said. 'I've read about your program; I'd like to learn more about it.' "

Maldonado, congratulated by nine family members yesterday, is part of the program's first graduating class, armed with realistic experience. She'll begin work June 2 at Cindy Clark Law Offices in Manchester, practicing family law. She said she owes her job to a new way to learn law.

"She's (Clark) always hired experienced attorneys who've been out there practicing for quite awhile," Maldonado said. "It's an honor, and it's because of the program. It's nice to be a pioneer in future legal education. It's really exciting."

Ray Duckler can be reached at rduckler@cmonitor.com.