While many of us are gathering with family and friends this holiday season, Charleston School of Law paused to reflect on so much to be thankful for over the past year. In 2023, the Law School has experienced exciting growth to our academic profile, facilities, experiential learning opportunities and collaborative success stories with our community partners.
“The calendar year began with the opening of our new library, and each day, week, and month since, we have witnessed the fruit of the hard work of the administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni and our community partners,” said Charleston Law Dean Larry Cunningham. “We are looking forward to building on the success in 2024 with our commitment to prepare students for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.”
Below is a collection of Charleston School of Law stories highlighting our students, alumni, and community:
The new Sol Blatt Law Library officially opened at Charleston School of Law. The new 16,000 square foot facility provides Charleston Law students, alumni and members of the legal community expanded services.
The Charleston Law Review and Furman University’s Riley Institute presented the 15th annual Law & Society symposium at the Charleston Museum auditorium. The half-day event focused on climate change in coastal communities and the legal consequences that result.
The Princeton Review released its 2023 law school ratings this week and Charleston School of Law is among the top rated law schools in the categories of “Professor Accessibility” and “Professor: Teaching.” Based on a scale of 60 to 99, Charleston Law received a rating of 97 for both “accessibility” and “teaching” by its law students. The publication reports that ratings are “based on how law students rate accessibility (and teaching) of law faculty members at their school.”
In Fall 2009, Will Cook was beginning his third year as an assistant professor at Charleston School of Law and Katie (Fowler) Monoc (’09) was beginning her final year as a law student. But back in the day, Cook was teaching law and serving as faculty advisor for the Charleston Law Review, a publication that Monoc served as editor-in-chief. “Bringing together legal scholars, but also thought leaders and activists who can put these ideas into practice. They’re not just scholars for the sake of scholarship, but people who could implement those ideas on a societal scale. Legal education programs tend to focus solely on individual topics without any consideration of the policy or intersectionality of law and policy and other issues. We wanted to advance ideas.” – Will Cook
Charleston School of Law faculty, students and staff gathered for the Awards Day ceremony. Professor William Janssen won three awards including the Charleston School of Law Professor of the Year, Best Faculty Mentor Award, and 1L Professor of the Year Award.
Charleston School of Law students Gabriel Mangold and Jonathan Raley hosted a three-part podcast on the importance of wellness in the legal profession. Mangold and Raley interviewed alumni, professors and Beth Padgett from the SC Bar about how to manage well-being as a student.
According to the latest employment report from the American Bar Association, the Charleston School of Law has recorded its highest employment rate since the association revised its data collection process. The ABA career outcomes report revealed 85% (147/173) of 2022 Charleston Law graduates were employed as of March 15, up 1.7% from last year. The school also recorded its highest rate of full-time, long-term job placements that require bar passage or for which a J.D. is an advantage: 71.1%, an increase of 2.8%.
Andy Abrams, Charleston School of Law Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law, announced his retirement earlier this year following nearly two decades of service. Professor Abrams delivered the message at Commencement.
Charleston School of Law hosted its annual Spring Commencement ceremony at the McAlister Fieldhouse on the campus of The Citadel. Eight students from the Class of 2023 graduated cum laude, 13 graduated magna cum laude, six summa cum laude, and 26 graduated as Presidential scholars. Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law Andy Abrams delivered the commencement message. He retired at the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year.
The Charleston School of Law class of 2022 produced four military officers serving as attorneys in three different branches of the United States military. Jessica Stark and David Estes are serving in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, Mary Catherine Rogers is serving in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps, and Shelby Sipe is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Tiffany Maggiore, Zachary Pairman and Simisola Ojo served as staff judge advocates for the United States Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) over the summer. The experience was eye-opening for each law student.
Charleston School of Law alumnus Leslie McIntosh (’13) has been selected by the American Bar Association (ABA) as a recipient of the 2022-2023 “On the Rise Top 40 Young Lawyers.” The program provides “national recognition for young lawyers who exemplify a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service.”
Charleston School of Law has taken the first step towards becoming a nonprofit school. It is currently the last independent, ABA-approved for-profit law school in the United States. The Law School filed an application with the American Bar Association seeking acquiescence in the conversion from for-profit to not-for-profit status.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson was the keynote speaker at the Charleston School of Law Professionalism Series event at the Charleston Museum Auditorium. Wilson spoke about “Transparency, Justice, and Rectifying a Judicial Mistake.”
Charleston Law student organizations Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) and Phi Delta Phi (PDP) raised 3,400 pounds of food for Canned Immunity, an annual food drive during the holiday season. The canned food donations established a new law school record. Donations were given to Lowcountry Food Bank to help families in need in the fight against hunger.
Faculty, staff and students supported the annual Angel Tree drive to give Christmas gifts to students at Sanders Clyde Elementary School. The annual fundraiser is hosted by the Charleston School of Black Law Student Association (BLSA).
The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing you for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.
Charleston School of Law presented its inaugural “Community Partner of the Year Award” to Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services and the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General at Saturday’s Commencement ceremony.
Before the traditional pomp-and-circumstance that comes with the scheduled annual graduation ceremony of Charleston School of Law, a small congregation of people will gather on stage in the McAlister Fieldhouse.
Charleston School of Law presented its inaugural “Community Partner of the Year Award” to Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services and the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General at Saturday’s Commencement ceremony.
