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It’s hard to imagine a more tragically disastrous law school over the last few years than Charleston School of Law. It tried to sell out to infamous for-profit brand InfiLaw, its best-laid plans got kicked to the curb by regulators, a president walked off the job after only 8 days, the ownership got embarrassed on video, and there was a legal battle with a pair of summarily laid off professors. After all that, the school finally landed in the hands of new president Ed Bell, who bought the school and pledged to move it to a non-profit.
And the school may actually be turning around.
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At this weekend’s commencement — where, unlike last year, the school’s ownership did not walk out on the ceremony — President Bell proclaimed next year’s incoming 1L class could boast over 200 students.
Even if the school falls short of that prediction — and Dean Andy Abrams is quick to walk back Bell’s bold claims — for a school that, one year ago, wasn’t sure it would enroll another incoming class and could now be looking at a robust class of over 100 students, it’s a tremendous accomplishment:
“It’s certainly safe to say it will be one of the largest in the history and certainly the largest in the last five years and the lowest attrition we have ever had,” Abrams said. “With all that was going on, people understandably were going, ‘I’m exploring other options’ and looking to leave. Nobody wants to leave. Everybody wants to be a part of it now.”
People must really like that new Starbucks. In all seriousness, kudos to Bell and Abrams for shifting a failing for-profit school into a functional non-profit educational institution.
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That said, Charleston isn’t completely out of the woods, and we would be remiss if we didn’t continue to warn prospective students that fewer than 50 percent of the 2015 graduates got jobs with their diplomas. On the other hand, the philosophical revolution at the top of the school should translate into a more student-centric approach and improve those figures a bit. The lesson for students, as always, is to remain cautious of post-graduate prospects in the current climate.
But it certainly looks like Charleston is moving in a positive direction.
Charleston law school’s freshman enrollment expected to double [Charleston Regional Business Journal]
Earlier: I Bet You Thought Going To Charleston Law Was Already Rock Bottom
InfiLaw Purchase Of Charleston Law Rejected By Licensing Committee
Charleston President Quits After Only 8 Days
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