Charlotte School of Law

[islandmouse]

Anyone know anything about this school?

[HalfManHalfAmazing]

It's unaccredited.

Move along.

[islandmouse]

Good to know! Thank you.

[LRonBlubbard]

It's unaccredited.

Move along.

What a silly comment from a silly boy with silly life goals.
First of all, Charlotte School of Law is an up and coming, razzmatazzstic school with a shlappy following and a deletante morbidium console. I got accepted there on a full scholly...the campus is fantastic...I might accept.

[HalfManHalfAmazing]

How can an unaccredited school be up and coming? Who is it up and coming against? The People's college of law?

[A'nold]

That guy is a flame poster, fyi.

[HalfManHalfAmazing]

(I should point out that it is provisionally accredited, along with fine schools like UDC and FAMU, and Phoenix)

[SoxyPirate]

Charlotte is the worst choice in a state that has 7 law schools.

Duke > UNC > Wake > Campbell > Central/Elon > Elon/Central > Charlotte

Only go to Charlotte if you don't get in anywhere else and they give you a nice scholarship. It seems far too risky right now.

[marvkm1]

I understand why people make posts like these. I really do. But I am just really tired of the prejudice and pompous attitudes. Yes, Charlotte Law is new. Yes, you will have to work very hard to get past the prejudices of the legal field to prove your worth after attending an unranked school. But, if you don't want to go to the school- then don't go. If you are seriously interested in the school, do the research yourself. Visit the website. Visit the school. Speak to the registrar.

Some information I found (it took me two seconds to find).

Quoting from the school's website:

"Our entire academic mission is structured around three core concepts that we strongly believe make the CharlotteLaw experience a unique and powerful one. These three ideals drive decision making as well as our academic approach; together they form a keen vision for the school.

+ Practical preparation is critical. A rigorous curriculum has been created to ensure that our students are equipped with practical skills that will allow them to thrive in a professional setting. Students are taught not only the traditions and theory of law, but also how to apply this learning through critical thinking and analytical skill sets. We address what using a law degree in “real life” can mean to an individual both personally and professionally.

+ Our students are our focus. Our faculty is driven by a desire to motivate and energize the student community in every aspect of the Charlotte School of Law experience. Professors are accessible mentors who take an active role in the development of students and help them to embrace their legal education and capitalize on the opportunities within the school’s and community’s network of resources. Student success is of the utmost importance to everyone at the institution, on every level.

+ It is essential to reflect our community. The Charlotte School of Law believes strongly that tomorrow’s leaders must reflect and interact effectively with an eclectic collective of people and cultures. Consequently, our inclusive environment fosters a demanding yet supportive educational setting for a richly diverse community."

[EmilyC.]

I'm trying to go to law school debt free and with what I've been offered it's totally possible to do at Charlotte. Provisionally accredited are still scary though.

[baboon309]

Anyone have any info on this school? I know it graduates its first class this year... how legit is it? Average starting salaries?

It`s a for profit law school managed by a corporation called InfiLaw. This company owns 3 different brands of law school.

Flagship law school : FLorida Coastal School of Law
Secondary law school : Charlotte school of Law & Phoenix School of Law

One thing insteresting about this company is that it's backed by a private equity firm called "Sterling Partner". Personally, I wouldn't throw in 30-40k a year to feed those greedy Wall Street pigs.

[nealric]

Average starting salaries?

How can it have average starting salaries when its first class hasn't graduated yet?
Count on going solo right out of law school from a firm like this- which means don't expect to make much of a profit at all your first year out.

In any event, something about a for profit educational institution strikes me as wrong. There is an inherent conflict of interest between a quality education and highest profits. This is because of severe lack of information on the part of the buyer (student)- it's not like buying a car where you can inspect every aspect before buying. You don't know exactly what opportunities an educational institution will get you until you have after committed to attending. Plus, with the demand for law school slots exceeding supply, there is no need to provide high-quality education to get people to fork over tuition dollars.

[SweeneyTodd]

Anyone have any info on this school? I know it graduates its first class this year... how legit is it? Average starting salaries?

I live in Charlotte and their first class of graduates was actually 2009. I tried to find the article in the local newspaper because I remember reading about it last year. All I could find were ceremony pictures: --LinkRemoved--

The building is nice and in an area that is slated by the city as being under "revitalization". It's not the worst neighborhood but it's not a collegiate area if that makes any sense. The city or county literally tore down a bunch of homes and buildings in that area and are attempting to create a park and the Charlotte School of Law randomly sits there. It actually looks kind of weird now but once they continue to "revitalize" the area I'm sure it will look much more appealing.

[sporkdevil]

I applied there last semester. It seemed nice with the new building and all, and I would have seriously thought about going there on full-scholarship. No luck. They matched a number I got from a T25, so... that was one of the easiest choices I've ever made. Better scholarships from a number of T50's.

[acoon624]

I applied, got accepted with a scholarship but I don't know what to think of the school and am skeptical (thus why I am still considering myself in the nowhere club). Is it just a money-pit type of school or does it seem like it will work to gain in the rankings? Anyone thinking of attending?

[SweeneyTodd]

I applied, got accepted with a scholarship but I don't know what to think of the school and am skeptical (thus why I am still considering myself in the nowhere club). Is it just a money-pit type of school or does it seem like it will work to gain in the rankings? Anyone thinking of attending?

I'm of the "attend the best law school you can" school of thought. Did you submit your apps late in the year? I think you should have applied to way more schools than you did. Your GPA and LSAT aren't so low that you couldn't crack a lower T1 school (I even think you could have received a minor scholarship somewhere).

[deadpanic]

Is it just a money-pit type of school or does it seem like it will work to gain in the rankings? Anyone thinking of attending?

It is just out for money. They couldn't care less about rankings; all they care about is that they remain ABA accredited. That's it. It will always be a TTTT. As someone pointed out, CSOL is also owned by the people that own FL Coastal.

I wouldn't attend even on full scholarship.

[KCR67]

http://law.wfu.edu/news/release/2009.09.02.1.php
Don't forget that Elon and Charlotte started at the same time (I think) and Charlotte's bar passage rate was incredibly low...The fact that Elon started at the same time points to me that Charlotte can't use their age as an excuse for the low numbers. I heard the low rate is putting them in danger of their full accreditation being postponed.

[Vincent Vega]

http://law.wfu.edu/news/release/2009.09.02.1.php
Don't forget that Elon and Charlotte started at the same time (I think) and Charlotte's bar passage rate was incredibly low...The fact that Elon started at the same time points to me that Charlotte can't use their age as an excuse for the low numbers. I heard the low rate is putting them in danger of their full accreditation being postponed.

How low is "low"? Are we talking 50%? Less?

[lds7573]

I read Charlotte Law had a bar passage of 67%, which is last for the schools in the state. But I have seen schools with worse rates than that. Also, in the same article NC central had a bar passage rate of 77%, which is interesting for a school that has been opened for quite some time and a lot longer than CL. So, I'm not so sure about counting CL out quite yet. I've applied to CL because I live in Charlotte but have been accepted so far to Liberty. Not sure if I would stay and attend Charlotte or not. Just depends on if I want to relocate since I do want to return to NC and practice some day. But I believe the school has potential for being a good regional school.

[CarolinaLAWyer]

I read Charlotte Law had a bar passage of 67%, which is last for the schools in the state. But I have seen schools with worse rates than that. Also, in the same article NC central had a bar passage rate of 77%, which is interesting for a school that has been opened for quite some time and a lot longer than CL. So, I'm not so sure about counting CL out quite yet. I've applied to CL because I live in Charlotte but have been accepted so far to Liberty. Not sure if I would stay and attend Charlotte or not. Just depends on if I want to relocate since I do want to return to NC and practice some day. But I believe the school has potential for being a good regional school.

I'd say NCCU is a much better value than Charlotte Law. Charlotte's tuition per semester is $13,446.00 versus NCCU's which is $3,531.50. Further, NCCU's "official" bar passage rate doesn't tell the whole story. NCCU has its own bar prep program offered to students free of charge, meant to supplement commercial prep. The students that sat for the July '09 bar that attended every weekly seminar and essay writing session had a 100% bar pass rate.

NCCU has a good reputation in North Carolina. Something like 80+% of its graduates participate in hands-on, clinical law programs. And in many respects, it's harder in required courses at NCCU than at other schools, because NCCU grades all required courses on a strict "C" curve.

[Vincent Vega]

I read Charlotte Law had a bar passage of 67%, which is last for the schools in the state. But I have seen schools with worse rates than that. Also, in the same article NC central had a bar passage rate of 77%, which is interesting for a school that has been opened for quite some time and a lot longer than CL. So, I'm not so sure about counting CL out quite yet. I've applied to CL because I live in Charlotte but have been accepted so far to Liberty. Not sure if I would stay and attend Charlotte or not. Just depends on if I want to relocate since I do want to return to NC and practice some day. But I believe the school has potential for being a good regional school.

I'd say NCCU is a much better value than Charlotte Law. Charlotte's tuition per semester is $13,446.00 versus NCCU's which is $3,531.50. Further, NCCU's "official" bar passage rate doesn't tell the whole story. NCCU has its own bar prep program offered to students free of charge, meant to supplement commercial prep. The students that sat for the July '09 bar that attended every weekly seminar and essay writing session had a 100% bar pass rate.

NCCU has a good reputation in North Carolina. Something like 80+% of its graduates participate in hands-on, clinical law programs. And in many respects, it's harder in required courses at NCCU than at other schools, because NCCU grades all required courses on a strict "C" curve.

A C curve doesn't make a class harder; it makes a class more competitive and it makes its students less employable.

[StudentAthlete]

I actually just finished my first year at the Charlotte School of Law so I believe that I am better versed in commenting.

First, some of the comments do have merit. The school is relatively expensive and of coruse its new with only Provisional ABA approval. That being said, the school does offer very competitive scholarships to those coming with impressive undergraduate resumes, thus making it affordable.
The building is brand new and very impressive, the teachers are first rate with strong backgrounds (And yes, majority of them attended T-14's and have backgrounds in their respective areas of law)

Overall I was very impressed with my first year there. While there are certainly shortcomings at the school and it has a long way to go to solidify itself, I believe that it is worth a shot if you want the city lifestyle and a top rate education.

Hopefully this helps more than the purely conjectural remarks preceding this.

[Cleareyes]

it is worth a shot if you want the city lifestyle and a top rate education.

What makes you think it's a 'top rate' education? How can you compare it to other law school educations you can receive in the state or around the country? It's among the least selective schools, among the newest, it's for profit, and its bar passage rate seems poor. I'm not sure how that adds up to a 'top rate' education. A top rate education requires some sort of curve or comparison. Perhaps you can make an argument that you'll get an adequate education (most people pass the bar) but top rate seems like an argument that's hard to sustain.

[StudentAthlete]

it is worth a shot if you want the city lifestyle and a top rate education.

What makes you think it's a 'top rate' education? How can you compare it to other law school educations you can receive in the state or around the country? It's among the least selective schools, among the newest, it's for profit, and its bar passage rate seems poor. I'm not sure how that adds up to a 'top rate' education. A top rate education requires some sort of curve or comparison. Perhaps you can make an argument that you'll get an adequate education (most people pass the bar) but top rate seems like an argument that's hard to sustain.

Fair enough. I'm assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that your definition of a top rate education is T-14 and anything else is eliminated. What I meant was that you will be taught by well-trained attorneys at top law firms who attended those T-14 universities.

It takes a while for a law school to establish itself and further, I concede that a for-profit will likely never crack the top 100. That being said however, a top rate education should educate the students to be practice ready, and not argue about the Legal Realism movement or other irrelevant nonsense.

Are T-14 people educated? Of course they are. Are they the only ones deserving and further obtaining a 'top rate' education? No.

Hope that clarifies that.