January 10, 2017: Our speaker today was long term Charlestonian, Andy Abrams, Provost of the Charleston School of Law, filling in for President Ed Bell who was called out of state unexpectedly. Prior to assuming the post of Provost in 2008, Andy served as Dean and Vice President of the College of Charleston. Prior to his 30 years in Higher Education administration he was a trial lawyer.
His message focused on the past several years during which time the founders of the school retired and placed the school up for sale. Students and faculty alike became concerned when it appeared that the school would be purchased by a large for Profit Company. The immediate reaction was a drop in enrollment from 200 annual entries to 85. The turnabout came in a change of leadership with the arrival of Ed Bell, an experienced trial lawyer with vision, energy, an understanding of what it is like to be a student, and access to necessary operational funding. Since President Bell’s arrival in the fall of 2015 there has been a major turnaround and a restoration of 200 students in the first year class, 2/3 of who are from out of state. Applications for admission have increased by 28%.
The Charleston School of Law has both full time and part time enrollment options. Thus it has many students who are employed part of each week. In a survey by the Princeton Law Review the school ranks in the upper 10% of schools who admit older [part time] students and number 4 in the quality of life. For the second year in a row the faculty has ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
There is a culture of caring the permeates the school with pro bono work as both the school’s motto and the reality of time students spend giving free legal assistance. While 30 hours of pro bono work is required 80% of the students do much more with 1/3 exceeding 100 hours! Since its beginning the SC of L has provided 300,000 hours of free legal service.
In concluding his presentation Andy held up a workman’s tool box. “Upon arrival at school the student is given an ‘empty box’; when they walk across the graduation stage we expect the ‘box’ to be full”. With a box of tools the student is challenged to enter the field of law and build RELATIONSHIPS with clients, colleagues and the community at large.
— Fred Sales, Keyway Committee