Charleston Law History

The Charleston School of Law is rooted in tradition, tracing its precedent to November 1825, when a group of Charleston attorneys petitioned the South Carolina Legislature for a charter of incorporation for the “creation of a regular Law Institute in the City of Charleston and the annexation of a Law Library.” The following month, the Legislature passed Act No. 2379, establishing “a Lecture-ship on the Law.” In February 1826, the Charleston Forensic Club began offering lectures, essentially establishing South Carolina’s first law school. That legacy continues today through the Charleston School of Law.

In 2002, several prominent Charleston judges and attorneys began working to establish a new law school that would serve as a community-centered institution offering a superior traditional and experiential educational program led by a collegial faculty of the highest caliber. In 2003, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education granted a license to allow the school to begin accepting students.

The Charleston School of Law opened its doors on August 17, 2004, with 133 full-time students and 64 part-time students. In the fall of 2005 and 2006, the school welcomed its second and third classes of students, bringing its enrollment to about 600 students. The school received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association on December 2, 2006. On August 4, 2011, the school was fully accredited by the American Bar Association.

Charleston has played a pivotal role in the development of the rule of law in our country and has a legal community with the highest professional reputation. Not only are Charleston School of Law students able to take advantage of mentoring and externship programs offered in conjunction with Charleston’s collegial, professional Bar, but they also benefit from a firsthand look at the study of law in a city anchored by a historic, yet vital, downtown civic hub known as the Four Corners of Law. Thus, the Charleston School of Law has reinvigorated the study of law in Charleston by offering a rich, comprehensive program rooted in excellence.

We believe that better lawyers make better communities. The Charleston School of Law’s mission is to make better lawyers by producing practice-ready graduates of high moral character and integrity and instilling within them a commitment to public service. The Charleston School of Law is committed to producing great lawyers for the greater good.