Charleston School of Law

Charleston School of Law

Motto	Pro Bono Populi
Type	Private Law School
Established	2003
Endowment	None (Private Business)
Dean	Andy Abrams
Location	Charleston , South Carolina , USA
Colors	Charleston green, gold, and purple
Website	www.charlestonlaw.edu

The Charleston School of Law (CSOL) is a private law school in Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston School of Law is one of only two law schools in South Carolina, the other being the University of South Carolina School of Law. It is not associated with the College of Charleston.

History

Origins

In 2002, Charleston judges and attorneys started to work on establishing a new law school in Charleston as a for-profit business. The five Founders were Judge Alex Sanders (a former failed US Senate candidate), Ed Westbrook, Judge Robert Carr (a federal magistrate judge), Judge George Kosko (a federal magistrate judge until 2008 when he was asked to leave bench after misconduct), and Ralph McCullough. In 2003, the S.C. Commission on Higher Education granted a license to allow the Charleston School of Law to start accepting students in the fall of 2004.

Accreditation

The school is not fully accredited and in South Carolina, only graduates of ABA accredited law schools may sit for the bar exam. However, a rule was recently changed that allows students that did not go to a fully accredited law school enjoy the full rights guaranteed to fully accredited schools. [1] In April 2006, the American Bar Association's Accreditation Committee recommended provisional accreditation, but this was rejected after 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 for-profit 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, law school announced that the ABA had granted 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.

PartTime Program

The school has a part-time program that allows working students to graduate in four years.

First Graduation

On May 19, 2007, the first class of 186 students at a ceremony held at the Citadel. [2] Former South Carolina U.S. senator Ernest Hollings delivered the main remarks. He, South Carolina Chief Justice Jean H. Toal and Fourth Circuit Chief Judge William Walter Wilkins received honorary degrees. Four graduating students were selected for induction into the newly reconstituted Forensic Club based on a faculty recommendation and approval by the Founders. The four inductees were Cameron Blazer, M. Brooks Derrick, Charles Marchbanks, and Jeff Yungman.

Many members of the first class became involved in a scandal after they sought to have portions of the July 2007 thrown out so that they would have their results changed from "fail" to "pass."

Controversy

A party the school threw gained national attention after it was revealed that students had urinated in an otter tank in the aquarium where the party was held.

The school's owners removed the school's first Dean after on a few years on the job.

In 2007, graduates of the school were accused of unethical contact with the SC bar eaxm graders.

The school's owners been accused of interfering with the faculty's work.

Bar Passage

The school's first graduates sat for the South Carolina bar exam in July 2007, and the South Carolina Supreme Court released the results in October 2007; the school had an overall pass rate of 69.9%. Less than half of the students taking the February 2008 Bar exam passed. On October 31, 2008, the South Carolina Supreme Court released the results of the July 2008 bar exam. The passage rate was 72.2% for the Charleston School of Law (up 2.3% from July 2007). In the February 2009 Bar exam, only 53.7% of takers passed the exam (up 5.8% from February 2008).

All of these results have below the state average. The school has recently new faculty to increase the pass rates.

Other Information

On November 29, 2007, the Founders removed the school's first dean, Richard Gershon, who announced he would be leaving the post to return to full time teaching at the school. In December 2007, CSOL Professor Andy Abrams, a former top administrator at the College of Charleston, was named as the interim dean of the law school. In June 2008, Abrams became the school's second dean. [3]

The school is now in the process if hiring its third career services administrator.

Tuition and living expenses for one year are over $50,000[4] this money goes to the corporation, owned by the Founders, that operates the school. Since the school is not accredited, students are no eligible for federal student loans which have lower interest rates.

Facilities

Located in Charleston, SC, the Charleston School of Law is located away from the City's central historic and business areas in a rented facility next to the Music Farm bar and concert venue. Additionally, CSOL is in the process of acquiring additional facilities at the nearby intersection of Mary and Meeting Streets.

Long term plans call for the continued expansion of the school in downtown Charleston, but have never been disclosed. All of the current facilities are leased.

The school does not own any real property.

Publications

Charleston Law Review

The Charleston Law Review is an independent organization composed of second and third year students at the Charleston School of Law. The Law Review'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 Law Review contribute to this objective by editing articles, writing notes, and actively participating in all aspects of the publication process.

The Charleston Law Review's inaugural journal was released in the Fall of 2006 and featured five articles by legal scholars on topics ranging from human trafficking to preservation of Gullah-Geechee culture. The Law Review published a second issue devoted to student works in the spring of 2007.

The Foreword of Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2007) was written by Barack Obama, junior United States Senator from Illinois and a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election at the time.

Sara Ruff was the inaugural editor-in-chief (2006-07). Subsequent editors-in-chief have been George "Matt" Kendall (2007-08) and Katie Fowler (2008-09). Ben Garner is the current editor-in-chief for (2009-10). Sara Ruff was the inaugural editor-in-chief (2006-07). Subsequent editors-in-chief have been George "Matt" Kendall (2007-08) and Katie Fowler (2008-09). Ben Garner is the current editor-in-chief for (2009-10).

Federal Courts Law Review

Founded in July 1997, The Federal Courts Law Review (FCLR) is an electronic law review dedicated to legal scholarship relating to federal courts. Articles are from scholars, judges and distinguished practitioners. The editorial board, composed primarily of United States Magistrate Judges and law school professors, uniquely combines the insight of the federal judiciary with the perspective of law school academics.

Charleston School of Law has been selected 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. Charleston School of Law has been selected 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.

MALABU

The Maritime Law Bulletin (MALABU) is a periodical bulletin, edited by law students, focusing on significant maritime issues. First published in February 2006, MALABU will be the publishing arm of the new Charleston Maritime Law Institute at Charleston School of Law.

Charleston Maritime Law Institute (CMLI) is a collaborative effort involving students, professors and leading maritime lawyers and professionals from around the Southeast. In addition to promoting maritime legal studies at the school, CMLI will provide programs and seminars periodically on maritime matters.

MALABU's current editor-in-chief is Ben Hambright.

External links

• Charleston School of Law
• Charleston Law Review
• Federal Courts Law Review
• Charleston Maritime Law Institute