Charleston School of Law

The Charleston School of Law (CSOL) is an independent, private law school in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 2003, the Charleston School of Law is one of only two law schools in South Carolina, the other being the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Origins

In November 1825, a group of Charleston attorneys petitioned the South Carolina General Assembly for a charter of incorporation for the “creation of a regular Law Institute in the City of Charleston and the annexation of a Law Library.” They also “established a Lecture-ship on the Law.” The following month, the Legislature granted the charter to the Forensic Club by Act No. 2379. In February 1826, the Forensic Club started to offer lectures in the law to begin what was the Southern United States’ earliest law school.

In 2002, prominent Charleston judges and attorneys started to work on establishing a new law school in Charleston to continue the Club’s 19th-century tradition of law. In 2003, the S.C. Commission on Higher Education granted a license to allow the Charleston School of Law to start accepting students in the fall of 2004.

In April 2006, the American Bar Association's Accreditation Committee decided to recommend provisional accreditation for Charleston School of Law. The recommendation went to the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The Charleston School of Law was asked by the ABA in July 2006 to address additional questions related to the for-profit institution's governance, library resources, and commitment to diversity.^[1]

On December 2nd, 2006, the Charleston School of Law's administration announced that the ABA had granted provisional accreditation, the highest level of accreditation available at present. Full accreditation cannot be granted until a school has been operational for five years. Students graduating from a provisionally accredited law school enjoy the full rights guaranteed to fully accredited schools. ^[2]

Goals

As a developing institution, the Charleston School of Law is in the unique position of being able to provide a legal education while pursuing thoughtful discussion on issues plaguing the modern legal system. The overriding goals of the Charleston School of Law are:

To teach students of high moral character and unquestioned personal integrity through a careful and refined study program;

To teach the practice of law as a profession, having as its chief aim providing public service;

To teach the law as a means of providing relief for those who suffer because they are helpless, weak, outnumbered, or because they are victims of prejudice;

To teach the law as a means of alleviating human misery and human suffering;

To teach the law as a means of making possible the continued processes of manufacture and commerce that bring realization to the twin goals of prosperity and peace in the world;

To institute and coordinate legal outreach programs to the South Carolina and American Bars, local, state, and federal governments, as well as to the general population; and

To encourage and foster legal reforms.

Facilities

Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston School of Law is in the heart of a city with deep historic roots. CSOL is housed in an antebellum railroad warehouse located on Mary St. near Charleston’s visitor center. Additionally, CSOL is in the process of acquiring additional facilities at the nearby intersection of Mary and Meeting Streets. Long term plans call for the continued expansion of the school in downtown Charleston.

Publications

Charleston Law Review

The Charleston Law Review is an independent organization composed of second and third year students at the Charleston School of Law. The Law Review's primary objective is to foster the knowledge and insight of students, practitioners, scholars, and the judiciary through a traditional forum dedicated to the pursuit of innovative legal expression, composition, and scholarship. Members of the Law Review contribute to this objective by editing articles, writing notes, and actively participating in all aspects of the publication process.

The Charleston Law Review's inaugural journal was released in the Fall of 2006 and featured five articles by legal scholars on topics ranging from human trafficking to preservation of Gullah-Geechee culture. The Law Review will also publish a second issue devoted to student works in the spring of 2007.

The current editor-in-chief is George "Matt" Kendall.

Federal Courts Law Review

Founded in July 1997, The Federal Courts Law Review (FCLR) is an electronic law review dedicated to legal scholarship relating to federal courts. Articles are from scholars, judges and distinguished practitioners. The editorial board, composed primarily of United States Magistrate Judges and law school professors, uniquely combines the insight of the federal judiciary with the perspective of law school academics.

Charleston School of Law has been selected to oversee the publication of a printed version of the Federal Courts Law Review. This companion to the current online format is intended to cater to subscribers who would welcome a printed version. The printed version will also allow for inclusion of selected student works.

Susan Hill served as the student board's first Editor in Chief. The student board's current Editor in Chief is Angela Nussbaum.

MALABU

The Maritime Law Bulletin (MALABU) is a periodical bulletin, edited by law students, focusing on significant maritime issues. First published in February 2006, MALABU will be the publishing arm of the new Charleston Maritime Law Institute at Charleston School of Law.

Charleston Maritime Law Institute (CMLI) is a collaborative effort involving students, professors and leading maritime lawyers and professionals from around the Southeast. In addition to promoting maritime legal studies at the school, CMLI will provide programs and seminars periodically on maritime matters.

External links

• Charleston School of Law
• Charleston Law Review
• Federal Courts Law Review
• Charleston Maritime Law Institute

Footnotes