Charleston School of Law
Encyclopedia
The Charleston School of Law is a for-profit private
law school
located in Charleston
, South Carolina
, established in 2003. The school was fully accredited
by the American Bar Association
(ABA) in August 2011.
for a charter of incorporation for the creation of a regular "Law Institute" in Charleston and a law library. They had also established a lectureship on the law. In December 1825, the legislature granted a charter, and the Forensic Club
began offering lectures on the law in February 1826. The Forensic Club — a private organization chartered to offer lectures in the law in Charleston — operated for two years, but it never took the form of a modern law school.
In 2002, prominent Charleston judges and attorneys started to work on establishing a law school in Charleston. The school would be the first organized effort to offer instruction in the law in Charleston since the 1828 dissolution of the Forensic Club. The five founders were the Honorable Alex Sanders (a former president
of the College of Charleston
and a former Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals
); Edward J. Westbrook (a prominent lawyer in Charleston); the Honorable Robert Carr
(a U.S. magistrate judge
); the Honorable George Kosko (a U.S. magistrate judge until 2008) and Ralph McCullough (another well-known South Carolina attorney and former Bankruptcy Trustee). In 2003, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education granted a license to allow the school to start accepting students in Fall 2004. For one year before the renovation of the school's first building, 81 Mary St., was completed, the school operated out of 560 King St.
The Charleston School of Law was founded in 2003.
In April 2006, the ABA's Accreditation Committee recommended provisional accreditation, but its final authority (the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar) deferred a vote on the committee's recommendation until December 2006. The school was asked to address questions related to the institution's governance
, library resources
, and commitment to diversity
. The delay was a problem since the deadline for registering for the bar exam was January 2007.
On December 2, 2006, however, the school announced that the ABA had granted it provisional accreditation, the highest level of accreditation available at that time. Full accreditation cannot be granted until a school has been in operation for five years.
On August 5, 2011, Dean Andy Abrams announced that the ABA had granted the school full accreditation.
Ernest "Fritz" Hollings delivered the main address. He; the Honorable Jean H. Toal
, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court
; and the Honorable William Walter Wilkins
, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
received LL.D.
honorary degree
s.
With the blessing of the descendents of the organizers of the original Forensic Club, the school organized an honorary society
also known as the Forensic Club. In its current form, up to four students are inducted into the group each year from the graduating class based on the recommendation of the faculty and approval by the founders. The first four inductees were Cameron Blazer, M. Brooks Derrick, Charles Marchbanks and Jeff Yungman.
The average Class of 2009 graduate had $128,571 of student loan debt.
* The July 2007 results were revised upwards (from an original 65 percent rate) after the South Carolina Supreme Court threw out a section of the exam because of an error by a bar examiner.
, announced he would be leaving the post to return to full-time teaching at the school. He was awarded an honorary LL.D degree in May 2008 for his leadership.
In December 2007, Andrew "Andy" L. Abrams
, a professor at the school and a former provost for the College of Charleston, was named as the school's interim dean. In June 2008, Abrams became the school's second dean.
, a musical concert venue.
When the law school was first organized in 2003, the school was operated out of a building at 560 King St. (pictured above) while work progressed on its future location. Although the school left that building within one year, the school's physical plant has always been located in Charleston's Upper King Street district. During its first year in operation, the school was located at 81 Mary St. (pictured above), in an antebellum railroad station. That building continues to serve as the school's law library, while most classrooms, offices, and other uses have moved to new locations as the school has grown and acquired new space. The school has leased space in nearby buildings including the Chase Building at 414 King St. (designed by Augustus Constantine, c. 1948); a large portion of the AT&T Building at the southwest corner of Mary and Meeting Streets; administrative space at 394 Meeting St., and suites of offices at both 440 and 444 King St. for its IT department and career services offices.
Its inaugural journal, released in Fall 2006, featured five articles by legal scholars on topics ranging from human trafficking to preservation of Gullah-Geechee culture. It published a second issue devoted to student works in Spring 2007.
The foreword of Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2007) was written by U.S. President
Barack Obama
, who, at the time, was a U.S. Senator from Illinois
and a leading candidate for the Democratic Party
nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
.
Sara Ruff was the inaugural editor-in-chief (2006–2007). Subsequent editors-in-chief have been George "Matt" Kendall (2007–2008) and Katie Fowler (2008–2009). Ben Garner is the editor-in-chief for (2009–2010).
The school was selected in 2005 by the Federal Magistrate Judges Association to oversee the publication of a printed version of the Federal Courts Law Review. This companion to the current online format is intended to cater to subscribers who would welcome a printed version. The printed version will also allow for inclusion of selected student works.
The institute is a collaborative effort involving students, professors and leading maritime lawyers and professionals from around the Southeastern U.S.
. In addition to promoting maritime legal studies at the school, the institute will provide programs and seminars periodically on maritime matters.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
located in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, established in 2003. The school was fully accredited
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
by the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
(ABA) in August 2011.
Inspiration and establishment
Despite Charleston being the early capital of South Carolina and the location of the first college in the state, no modern law school existed in the city until 2003. In November 1825, a group of Charleston attorneys had petitioned the South Carolina General AssemblySouth Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
for a charter of incorporation for the creation of a regular "Law Institute" in Charleston and a law library. They had also established a lectureship on the law. In December 1825, the legislature granted a charter, and the Forensic Club
Forensic Club
The Forensic Club was a short-lived private organization chartered in 1826 to offer lectures in the law in Charleston, South Carolina.On November 18, 1825, a group of Charleston's elite drafted a petition which was delivered to the statehouse and which requested a charter for a new organization to...
began offering lectures on the law in February 1826. The Forensic Club — a private organization chartered to offer lectures in the law in Charleston — operated for two years, but it never took the form of a modern law school.
In 2002, prominent Charleston judges and attorneys started to work on establishing a law school in Charleston. The school would be the first organized effort to offer instruction in the law in Charleston since the 1828 dissolution of the Forensic Club. The five founders were the Honorable Alex Sanders (a former president
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...
and a former Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals
South Carolina Court of Appeals
The South Carolina Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the state of South Carolina.-Jurisdiction:The Court of Appeals hears most appeals from the Circuit Courts and Family Courts of South Carolina that do not fall within the seven classes of cases over which the South...
); Edward J. Westbrook (a prominent lawyer in Charleston); the Honorable Robert Carr
Robert Carr
Leonard Robert Carr, Baron Carr of Hadley, PC is a British Conservative politician.Robert Carr was educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge where he read Natural Sciences, graduating in 1938....
(a U.S. magistrate judge
United States magistrate judge
In the United States federal courts, magistrate judges are appointed to assist United States district court judges in the performance of their duties...
); the Honorable George Kosko (a U.S. magistrate judge until 2008) and Ralph McCullough (another well-known South Carolina attorney and former Bankruptcy Trustee). In 2003, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education granted a license to allow the school to start accepting students in Fall 2004. For one year before the renovation of the school's first building, 81 Mary St., was completed, the school operated out of 560 King St.
The Charleston School of Law was founded in 2003.
ABA accreditation
In South Carolina, only graduates of ABA-accredited law schools may sit for the bar exam. Students graduating from a provisionally accredited law school enjoy the full rights guaranteed to fully accredited schools, including the right to sit for the bar exam. In October 2005, the ABA sent a special delegation to review the progress of the law school.In April 2006, the ABA's Accreditation Committee recommended provisional accreditation, but its final authority (the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar) deferred a vote on the committee's recommendation until December 2006. The school was asked to address questions related to the institution's governance
Governance in higher education
Governance in higher education refers to the means by which higher educational institutions are formally organized and managed, though often there is a distinction between definitions of management and governance. Simply, university governance is the way in which universities are operated...
, library resources
Law library
A law library is a library designed to assist law students, attorneys, judges, and their law clerks and anyone else who finds it necessary to correctly determine the state of the law....
, and commitment to diversity
Diversity (politics)
In the political arena, the term diversity is used to describe political entities with members who have identifiable differences in their backgrounds or lifestyles....
. The delay was a problem since the deadline for registering for the bar exam was January 2007.
On December 2, 2006, however, the school announced that the ABA had granted it provisional accreditation, the highest level of accreditation available at that time. Full accreditation cannot be granted until a school has been in operation for five years.
On August 5, 2011, Dean Andy Abrams announced that the ABA had granted the school full accreditation.
School's first graduation
On May 19, 2007, the school's first class of 186 students graduated at a ceremony held at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also located in Charleston. Former U.S. SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Ernest "Fritz" Hollings delivered the main address. He; the Honorable Jean H. Toal
Jean H. Toal
Jean Hoefer Toal is the first woman and the first Roman Catholic to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Carolina....
, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court
South Carolina Supreme Court
The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.-Selection of Justices:...
; and the Honorable William Walter Wilkins
William Walter Wilkins
William Walter Wilkins is a former United States federal judge.Born in Anderson, South Carolina, Wilkins received a B.A. from Davidson College in 1964 and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1967. He served on active duty for two years, in active reserves, and the South...
, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
received LL.D.
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s.
With the blessing of the descendents of the organizers of the original Forensic Club, the school organized an honorary society
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
also known as the Forensic Club. In its current form, up to four students are inducted into the group each year from the graduating class based on the recommendation of the faculty and approval by the founders. The first four inductees were Cameron Blazer, M. Brooks Derrick, Charles Marchbanks and Jeff Yungman.
Post-graduation information
Law School Transparency reports the following statistics for the Class of 2009 graduates: 29.3% worked for private law firms, but 62.3% had jobs requiring bar passage nine months after graduation. Sixteen and one-tenth percent were either unemployed or had an unknown employment status nine months after graduation. These unaudited employment statistics are self-reported by the Charleston School of Law to U.S. News & World Report.The average Class of 2009 graduate had $128,571 of student loan debt.
Admissions
The following tables reflect admissions information arranged by the year of admission, not by year of graduation.| Full-time | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | N/A | 952 | 835 | 912 | 870 | 2050 | 2200 | 1784 |
| Accepted | N/A | 32% | 38% | 35% | 34% | 38% | 39% | 51% |
| Enrolled | N/A | 138 | 137 | 130 | 134 | 190 | 188 | 173 |
| 75% LSAT/GPA | N/A | 151/3.48 | 152/3.41 | 153/3.51 | 154/3.49 | 156/3.43 | 156/3.46 | 155/3.42 |
| Median LSAT/GPA | N/A | 150/3.08 | 151/3.16 | 152/3.20 | 153/3.18 | 154/3.20 | 155/3.25 | 153/3.20 |
| 25% LSAT/GPA | N/A | 150/2.79 | 152/2.81 | 153.2.96 | 153/2.96 | 151/2.95 | 152/2.95 | 150/2.91 |
| Part-time | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | N/A | N/A | 250 | 250 | 240 | 350 | 350 | 270 |
| Accepted | N/A | N/A | 33% | 44% | 41% | 31% | 29% | 40% |
| Enrolled | N/A | N/A | 62 | 66 | 71 | 52 | 50 | 51 |
| 75% LSAT/GPA | N/A | N/A | N/A | 153/3.43 | 152/3.34 | 152/3.30 | 153/3.37 | 151/3.30 |
| Median LSAT/GPA | N/A | N/A | N/A | 150/3.08 | 150/3.07 | 151/2.92 | 151/3.04 | 147/2.84 |
| 25% LSAT/GPA | N/A | N/A | N/A | 148/2.81 | 147/2.71 | 147/2.51 | 149/2.80 | 146/2.50 |
South Carolina bar-exam passage
In South Carolina, the bar exam is administered twice a year, in July and February. July is the primary testing date for those who graduate in May. A much smaller group, generally out-of-state applicants, repeat takers, and December graduates, take the February exam. The school graduated its first students in May 2007 who sat for the exam in July 2007. The following are the pass rates for school alumni for each South Carolina bar exam since July 2007.| February | July | |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | --- | 69.9%* |
| 2008 | 47.9% | 72.2% |
| 2009 | 53.7% | 75.9% |
| 2010 | 60.0% | 72.3% |
| 2011 | 63.5% | 75.0% |
* The July 2007 results were revised upwards (from an original 65 percent rate) after the South Carolina Supreme Court threw out a section of the exam because of an error by a bar examiner.
Student body
The median age of first-year, full-time students at the school is twenty-three years; however, students range from age twenty to fifty-one. About half of the full-time student body (56 percent) are South Carolina residents. Males outnumber females in the full-time program by a 52–48 margin.Other information
On November 29, 2007, the school's first dean, Richard GershonRichard Gershon
I. Richard Gershon is the current Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law. He came to the University of Mississippi after being the Founding Dean of the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, South Carolina....
, announced he would be leaving the post to return to full-time teaching at the school. He was awarded an honorary LL.D degree in May 2008 for his leadership.
In December 2007, Andrew "Andy" L. Abrams
Andrew L. Abrams
Andrew "Andy" L. Abrams is a Professor of Law and Dean at the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to his position as the Dean of the Charleston School of Law, he is also the Executive Director of the Charleston School of Law Foundation...
, a professor at the school and a former provost for the College of Charleston, was named as the school's interim dean. In June 2008, Abrams became the school's second dean.
Facilities
The Charleston School of Law's library shares an antebellum building with the Music FarmMusic Farm
Music Farm is a music venue in Charleston, South Carolina located off of East Bay Street. It has been open since April 1991.- History :The "original" Music Farm opened in April, 1991 on East Bay Street. From his experience as a musician and as a member of a band that had toured the Southeast, Kevin...
, a musical concert venue.
When the law school was first organized in 2003, the school was operated out of a building at 560 King St. (pictured above) while work progressed on its future location. Although the school left that building within one year, the school's physical plant has always been located in Charleston's Upper King Street district. During its first year in operation, the school was located at 81 Mary St. (pictured above), in an antebellum railroad station. That building continues to serve as the school's law library, while most classrooms, offices, and other uses have moved to new locations as the school has grown and acquired new space. The school has leased space in nearby buildings including the Chase Building at 414 King St. (designed by Augustus Constantine, c. 1948); a large portion of the AT&T Building at the southwest corner of Mary and Meeting Streets; administrative space at 394 Meeting St., and suites of offices at both 440 and 444 King St. for its IT department and career services offices.
Charleston Law Review
The Charleston Law Review is a journal published by an independent organization composed of second- and third-year students at the school. The organization's primary objective is to foster the knowledge and insight of students, practitioners, scholars and the judiciary through a traditional forum dedicated to the pursuit of innovative legal expression, composition and scholarship. Members of the organization contribute to this objective by editing articles, writing notes, and actively participating in all aspects of the publication process.Its inaugural journal, released in Fall 2006, featured five articles by legal scholars on topics ranging from human trafficking to preservation of Gullah-Geechee culture. It published a second issue devoted to student works in Spring 2007.
The foreword of Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2007) was written by U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who, at the time, was a U.S. Senator from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and a leading candidate for the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
Sara Ruff was the inaugural editor-in-chief (2006–2007). Subsequent editors-in-chief have been George "Matt" Kendall (2007–2008) and Katie Fowler (2008–2009). Ben Garner is the editor-in-chief for (2009–2010).
Federal Courts Law Review
Founded in July 1997, the Federal Courts Law Review is an electronic law review dedicated to legal scholarship relating to federal courts. Articles are from scholars, judges and distinguished practitioners. Its editorial board, composed primarily of U.S. magistrate judges and law-school professors, to combine the insight of the federal judiciary with the perspective of law-school academics.The school was selected in 2005 by the Federal Magistrate Judges Association to oversee the publication of a printed version of the Federal Courts Law Review. This companion to the current online format is intended to cater to subscribers who would welcome a printed version. The printed version will also allow for inclusion of selected student works.
Maritime Law Bulletin
The Maritime Law Bulletin (MALABU) is a periodical bulletin, edited by law students, focusing on significant maritime issues. First published in February 2006, the bulletin is the publishing arm of the school's Charleston Maritime Law Institute.The institute is a collaborative effort involving students, professors and leading maritime lawyers and professionals from around the Southeastern U.S.
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. In addition to promoting maritime legal studies at the school, the institute will provide programs and seminars periodically on maritime matters.
Resolved: Journal of Alternative Dispute Resolution
Resolved is a student-run e-Publication that was founded in conjunction with the Center for Dispute Resolution. The Center's vision in creating Resolved is to promote research and writing in the areas of dispute resolution theory, skills, techniques and application. Resolved provides a comprehensive resource that fosters intellectual discourse amongst the judiciary, professors, students, mediators and attorneys through a contemporary medium. Resolved is dedicated to increasing awareness of alternative dispute resolution trends and sharing thought-provoking viewpoints. Megan Hunt was the inaugural editor-in-chief. Subsequently, Justice Perkins was editor-in-chief for 2010–2011 and M. Christie McDonnell is the editor-in-chief for 2011–2012. The website for Resolved is located at: http://adrepub.charlestonlaw.edu/External links
- charlestonlaw.org, the school's official website
- charlestonlawreview.org, the Charleston Law Reviews official website
- fclr.org, the Federal Courts Law Reviews official website