I got accepted to Law school!

IheartAphi · #1 02-14-2004, 11:04 AM

I recently found out I was accepted at the Charleston School of Law, which will be opening in the fall. Its the only one I have heard from so far.

Anyone know anything about rentals in Charleston? I would prefer to live downtown if I went to school there.

#2 02-14-2004, 11:36 AM

Oh my gosh! congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH! for you!

midwesterngirl · #3 02-14-2004, 11:46 AM

Congratulations!

Jill1228 · #4 02-14-2004, 01:13 PM

I LOVE Charleston, SC! Congrats on being accepted!

bruinaphi · #5 02-14-2004, 01:13 PM

Congratulations! I know nothing about rentals in Charleston but a lot about law school. Is the Charleston Law School accredited by the American Bar Association?

IheartAphi · #6 02-14-2004, 05:59 PM

It has its premilinary Accrediation, however, it can not get provisional accrediation until its been in operation for two years. It gets full accrediation after the first two classes take the bar (and do pretty well)

It seems to a pretty good program, but it is a gamble because of the accrediation. I do think that in a few years it will be an unbelievable program, they have already recruited just about everyone from USC (University South Carolina) and a lot of faculty from George Washington. However, it doesn't qualify for federal loans. I would really need a nice scholarship to seriously consider it worth the risk. I am still waiting to hear from UNC, Campbell, Mercer, and North Carolina Central.

Any advice you have to offer? I really appreciate anything you have to share!

SATX*APhi · #7 02-14-2004, 06:07 PM

Congratulations!

#8 02-14-2004, 10:00 PM

If it is not acrediated by ABA then you can only practice in that state after passing the bar.
I know here in California Univ of LaVerne Law school graduates after passing the bar can only practice here in california only because of acrediation because it isn't acrediated by the ABA but the paralegal program there is...wierd

Is that correct Laura?

bruinaphi · #9 02-15-2004, 02:39 AM

In some states you can't take the bar if your school isn't accredited, in others you have to take something called the "baby bar" during law school in order to qualify to sit for the bar.

Starting at a new law school is very risky as a student. If they don't get their provisional accreditation you may not be able to sit for the bar exam when you graduate. While it looks like they are doing an excellent job from everything I've read online , you have to be careful. When I was in school Chapman had just opened their law school and there was a lot of dispute over their accreditation.

Laura, you are correct about La Verne. They are accreditated by the WASC and the California Committee of Bar Examiners but are still in the application process for the ABA. As a result you can sit for the California bar without taking the baby bar but if you want to practice in another jurisdiction you ahve to contact their state bar to see if you can qualify to take the bar there. The paralegal program is accredited by Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, not by the ABA. The law school has the same accreditation, it's just not enough to qualify to sit for the bar in other jurisdictions.

I hope this helps.

:-)

IheartAphi · #10 02-15-2004, 10:56 AM

I know, its such a big risk with accrediation. While it most likly will do well with accrediation, its just a major risk if it doesn't pass. I believe in SC you can take the State Bar, because its only there second law school.

I had an interview at Campbell, which is tied for my first choice. It was with a professor though and he kinda have me a lofty lecture about the procedures learned and praticed. I think it was more about naive 1L and not about me personally though. Hopefully I will hear soon.

Its just a shame that this school isn't a few years older and has accrediation. Its a great opportunity for people who may not get into another school of their choice. (In NC, GA, and SC, there is only one law school (NC Central) that the LSAT average is around a 150, everything else is 156 or higher)

Are you currently in law school or just know bunchies?

#11 02-15-2004, 12:30 PM

Then there are a lot of misinformed students from Mt Sac .... they all believe LaVerne is acrediated by the ABA when it came to the paralegal studies program.

bruinaphi · #12 02-15-2004, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IheartAphi
Are you currently in law school or just know bunchies?

I am a lawyer and when I was in law school I sat on admissions committee. I also applied to 14 law schools when I applied and had a great law school admissions counselor who helped me through the process and was very knowledgeable.

Quote:

Originally posted by cutiepatootie
Then there are a lot of misinformed students from Mt Sac .... they all believe LaVerne is acrediated by the ABA when it came to the paralegal studies program.

The ABA states on its website that it "approves" paralegal programs. According to the ABA site La Verne is approved. When I read La Verne's site the other day though it didn't list the ABA under its accreditation. It seems like they distinguish between being accredited and being approved.

But then the ABA uses "approves" and "accredits" interchangeably later on. This is what the ABA accreditation site says about who they accredit:

Quote:

The American Bar Association's approval of a law school extends only to the first professional degree in law (J.D.) offered by a law school. ABA approval of a school's J.D. program provides bar admission authorities, students and the public assurance that the law school's J.D. program meets the Standards established by the ABA and that graduates of the school have completed an educational program that prepares them for admission to the bar and to participate effectively and responsibly in the legal profession.

ABA approval does not extend to any program supporting any other degree granted by the law school. Rather the content and requirements of those degrees, such as an LL.M., are created by the law school itself and do not reflect any judgment by the ABA regarding the quality of the program. Moreover, admission requirements for such programs vary from school to school, and are not evaluated through the ABA accreditation process. The ABA Accreditation process does not evaluate in any way whether a school's post-J.D. degree program ensures that students in the program gain the basic knowledge and skills necessary to prepare the student adequately for the practice of law. It is the long-standing position of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar that no graduate degree is or should be a substitute for the J.D., and that a graduate degree should not be considered the equivalent of the J.D. for bar admission purposes.

The Standards for Approval of Law Schools prohibit an approved law school from establishing a post-J.D. program without first obtaining the acquiescence of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. However, the ABA reviews post-J.D. degree programs only to determine whether the offering of such post-J.D. program would have an adverse impact on the law school's ability to comply with the Standards that the ABA establishes for J.D. programs. If no adverse impact is indicated, the ABA acquiesces in the law school's decision to offer the non-J.D. program and degree. Acquiescence in a post-J.D. program does not constitute ABA approval or endorsement of such a program. (Adopted by the Council, February 2002)

IheartAphi · #13 02-17-2004, 08:52 PM

BLAH!!! It stinks about the accrediation process... Its so important in the scheme of things.

What type of law do you pratice? Where did you go to school? I am tickled pink to met a sister who is a lawyer!

bruinaphi · #14 02-17-2004, 09:18 PM

I work for a botique corporate firm. We do both litigation and transactional work with a focus on securities, real estate and tax. I went to law school to be an environmental lawyer, and I never imagined that I would be happy doing corporate work but I LOVE it. Our practice has very challenging legal issues and I get to do a lot of legal research and writing on interesting legal topics (which is exactly what I enjoy most about being a lawyer). I also like that I get a mix of transactional and litigation work. The change from day to day or week to week keeps me on my toes and interested in what I am doing.

Valkyrie is also a lawyer, and you should talk to her about it too. A lot of lawyers are not happy about their experiences either in school or after and it's important to know what you are getting yourself into.

Good luck!

SigmaChiCard · #15 02-25-2004, 05:43 AM

The only thing I can tell you about Charleston is that there is a new bar opened there by my brother-in-law and a partner of his called Charleston Beer Works, or CBW. It's supposed to be great, so I want to go and visit it sometime soon. You have to tell me if it's as cool as he says it is.

cory