Charleston School of Law gets full accreditation

CHARLESTON - Late Friday afternoon the American Bar Association granted the Charleston School of Law full accreditation.

“In 2003, we began with a dream to create a second law school in South Carolina, a student-centered law school focused on service to the citizens of the state and region,” Dean Andy Abrams said in a statement released by the school.  “With today's decision by the ABA to grant full accreditation to the Charleston School of Law, this is no longer a dream, but a reality."

The school now boasts approximately 700 students and 898 graduates so far. The incoming class of 2014 is expected to include 185 full-time and 50 part-time studetns.

Roughly 80 percent of the school's applicants come from outside South Carolina.

With a requirement that students donate at least 30 hours to public service projects prior to graduation, students from the Charleston School of Law have provided more than 161,000 hours of pro bono and externship service since 2006.

“It has truly been a remarkable seven-year journey made possible by the incredible efforts of the founders, faculty, students, staff, alumni and Charleston community, and the lawyers and judges throughout this city, state and region,” Abrams said.  “The Charleston School of Law is an institution with a brief but remarkable past, a compelling present, and now, with this grant of full accreditation, an exciting future.”