Law schools across the country are ready to kick it into high gear as the new academic year begins, but with a tiny entering class, things aren’t going quite as swimmingly at one of the nation’s newly established law schools.
Wilmington University School of Law, a brand new institution in Delaware, threw open its doors with 20 inaugural students, far less than the 65 that had been planned for. The school’s dean, Phillip Closius, isn’t terribly concerned right now, telling Reuters, “I just over-estimated it. I had no experience dealing with a school that was new and seeking accreditation. We didn’t get in front of enough people to produce those numbers [of students].” Here are some additional details:
Closius said the smaller-than-anticipated class isn’t a red flag for the school’s long-term future, but he acknowledged that recruiting students to a new school that has yet to be accredited by the American Bar Association has proven difficult. Most states require students to have graduated from the ABA-accredited school in order to take the bar exam. …
The school needed about twice as many applications as the 103 it received this year to hit the 65 figure, he added.
AI Built for Litigation. Verified by Design.
Grounded in authoritative content and verified at every step, Protégé is the only legal AI tool that delivers work you can trust—without exception.
With its low tuition — just $24,000 — Closius expects that the school will draw larger classes after it has obtained ABA accreditation. The first time Wilmington Law is eligible for provisional accreditation will be in 2025.
With only 20 students, Closius says Wilmington 1Ls will receive a “one-on-one experience.”
Best of luck to everyone at Wilmington Law.
New law schools opening with smaller-than-expected classes have high hopes [Reuters]
Learning After Law School
Once you’ve got your law degree, how do you keep your professional skills up to date? Share your perspective in this brief survey, and you may be eligible to win a $250 gift card.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.