Charlotte School of Law

Charlotte School of Law
Established	2006 ABA Provisional Accreditation: 2008 Full ABA Accreditation: 2011
Type	Private, For-profit
Dean	Dennis Stone
Academic staff	45
Students	500
Location	Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Campus	Urban
Website	http://www.charlottelaw.edu

Charlotte School of Law (CharlotteLaw) is a private, for-profit law school in Charlotte, North Carolina. The campus is located on the western edge of Uptown Charlotte. The school was founded in 2006. The school received full accreditation from the ABA on June 10, 2011.

Ranking

"U.S. News & World Report" lists the Charlotte School of Law as "unranked" in its 2012 edition of "Best Law Schools."^[1]

Post-graduation employment

49.8% of the Class of 2009 were known to be working for law firms in the private sector nine months after graduation.^[2] 85.7% of the Class of 2009 graduates were known to hold positions that required bar passage nine months after graduation.^[3]

Average Student Loan Debt

The average Class of 2009 graduate had $113,793 of student loan debt.^[4]

Mission Pillars

The entire academic mission of Charlotte School of Law is structured around three core concepts. These three ideals drive decision making as well as the academic approach.

Practice readiness. Practical preparation for all law students is critical. A rigorous curriculum has been created to ensure that CharlotteLaw students are equipped with practical skills that will allow them to thrive in a professional setting. Students are taught not only the traditions and theory of law, but also how to apply this learning through critical thinking and analytical skill sets. The faculty addresses what using a law degree in “real life” can mean to an individual both personally and professionally.

Student centeredness. Students are the main focus. The faculty is driven by a desire to motivate and energize the student community in every aspect of the Charlotte School of Law experience. Professors are accessible mentors who take an active role in the development of students and help them to embrace their legal education and capitalize on the opportunities within the school’s and community’s network of resources. Faculty members serve as directly-engaged advisors to the many student organizations, including groups devoted to political issues, minority rights, environmental law, women's issues, and the use of poker as a means of enhancing the study and practice of law. Student success is of the utmost importance to everyone at the institution, on every level.

Serving the underserved. Community service is essential. The Charlotte School of Law team believes strongly that tomorrow’s leaders must reflect and interact effectively with an eclectic collection of people and cultures. Consequently, the inclusive environment fosters a demanding yet supportive educational setting for a richly diverse community.

Consistent with these mission pillars, the school places strong emphasis on community service and pro bono work, student diversity, creative and experience-based teaching, and inculcation of practical skills at all levels of the curriculum. The faculty and students work in close cooperation with the Mecklenburg County and North Carolina state bar associations to coordinate learning, experience, and service efforts.

Admissions

Charlotte School of Law offers a full-time program and a part-time program.[1] In order to accommodate the varied needs of its students, the part-time program can be completed during the day or in the evening. The law school also offers the convenience and flexibility of both a Fall and Spring start date for incoming first-year students. Both programs require the completion of 90 credit hours for graduation.

The Charlotte School of Law attracts applicants from not only North and South Carolina, but also from all over the United States. For the class of 2009, the average median LSAT score of admitted students was 152; the median GPA was 3.13.^[5]

Faculty

The faculty is experienced in both the actual practice of law and in legal academia. Faculty members have won multiple teaching awards from other law schools, reflecting excellence in teaching and their devotion to creativity and variety in the educational experience. Professors meet frequently in "Best Practices" sessions in teaching to discuss and share pedagogical options, instructional methods, practice-ready exercises, and educational tools for further enhancing the learning experience for all students at Charlotte School of Law, taking into account individual student differences in learning styles and utilizing the latest in technological innovations. Faculty members often visit one another's classes to gain additional insight into potential improvements in their own classroom effectiveness.

The twenty-eight professors and deans have compiled an extensive record of scholarship, publishing numerous books and law review articles on a wide variety of legal topics, as well as leadership and management. To date, members of the faculty have authored or co-authored more than 20 scholarly books and 50 law review articles, plus dozens of book chapters, professional journal articles, and other forms of scholarship. These writings have been published by some of the most prestigious academic presses and legal periodicals in the world and have been widely cited as influential in the various subject matter fields represented. The faculty devotes time on a regular basis to "Best Practices" seminars in scholarship, during which professors preview their works-in-progress at an early, pre-publication stage, exchange feedback, and compare insights into the scholarly legal process.

Law Library

The mission of the Charlotte School of Law library is to meet the legal information needs of Charlotte School of Law students and faculty. The library’s collection supports the practice-ready curriculum of Charlotte School of Law and meets or exceeds the accreditation standards of the American Bar Association. Attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals may use the library through its membership program. The library is also open to the general public in the law school's new facility.

Charlotte School of Law has the largest and most comprehensive law collection in the Charlotte metropolitan area. That collection includes United States statutes, regulations and case law (decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit courts of appeal, and U.S. district courts); case law and statutes of all 50 states; an extensive collection of North Carolina and South Carolina digests, encyclopedias, practice guides, and continuing legal education materials; major treatises in banking and finance, commercial law, constitutional law, environmental and natural resources law, education law, intellectual property, corporate and securities, civil and criminal procedure, administrative law, e-commerce, and international law; U.S. congressional materials dating back to the 18th century; over 800 full text law journals online; Westlaw, LexisNexis, and other major online legal research services; U.S., N.C., and S.C. historical collections on microfiche; and resources for LSAT and bar exam preparation, as well as academic and professional success.

Student organizations

Student Bar Association - Executive

Student Bar Association - Senate

Women in Law

CharlotteLaw Cares

CharlotteLaw Diversity Alliance

LGBT Legal Society

Federalist Society

Part-Time Student Association

International Law Society

American Constitution Society

Environmental Legal Society

Moot Court

Law Review

CharlotteLaw Republican Society

CharlotteLaw Global Poker & Strategi

CharlotteLaw Sports & Entertainment

Black Law Student Association

Real Estate Law Society

Public Service and Experiential Learning

Charlotte School of Law is committed to public service and has incorporated this commitment into its legal education program. The Center for Experiential Learning and the Center for Professional Development work cooperatively to administer the Pro Bono and Community Service Programs. These initiatives enable law students to give back to the community, particularly the historically underserved members.

As a part of this commitment, Charlotte School of Law has adopted mandatory pro bono and community service requirements. All students must complete 20 hours of pro bono service and 10 hours of community service prior to graduation. Pro bono service includes legal-related assistance to persons of limited means in the community. Community service includes volunteer services to the underserved members or interests of the community.

Through participation in these programs, students receive valuable practical skills and exposure to the need for a lifelong commitment to public service. Students who exemplify a commitment to pro bono service or community service may be eligible to receive recognition or an award at graduation.

Publications

The Charlotte Law Review, a student-edited scholarly legal journal, is scheduled to publish its inaugural issue in the Summer of 2009. The Law Review accepts manuscripts for consideration from sources both within and outside the Charlotte Law School community, consistent with the highest standards of legal scholarship.

References

1. ^ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings/page+8
2. ^ http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/clearinghouse/?school=charlotte&show=charts&class=2009
3. ^ http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/clearinghouse/?school=charlotte&show=charts&class=2009
4. ^ http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/clearinghouse/?school=laverne&show=charts&class=2009
5. ^ http://charlotte.lawschoolnumbers.com/

External links

• Charlotte School of Law
• Admissions
• Corporate Parent website:InfiLaw Corp.
• CharlotteLaw Library Blog

Coordinates: 35°13′25″N 80°52′17″W / 35.2236°N 80.8715°W / 35.2236; -80.8715