Elon University School of Law
Elon University School of Law was founded in 2006 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The law school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school's curriculum focuses on practical skills training and experiential learning. Students can participate in clinics, externships, and simulation courses and it offers study abroad programs.
Elon University School of Law is committed to providing an excellent legal education to its students and preparing them for successful careers in the legal profession.
Contents
History
Elon University School of Law provides students with a wealth of experiential learning opportunities, including residencies in the legal profession and close mentorship from professionals, which prepare students for the field. The school's challenging coursework, taught by experienced instructors, equips aspiring lawyers with the skills and judgment necessary to positively impact their clients' lives and society as a whole.
Elon Law's innovative curriculum has been recognized by several publications. In 2013, Elon Law's leadership program won the ABA's E. Smythe Gambrell Award, and in 2015, The National Jurist named Elon to its honor roll of best law schools for practical training. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report featured Elon Law's new curriculum as one of the most far-reaching innovations in legal education in 2015.
Admissions
The application process for Fall 2023 admission at Elon Law will be open from September 1, 2022, to July 15, 2023. Admission offers are extended throughout the admissions cycle, so it's best to apply as early as possible. The application is free to submit. Elon Law only accepts applications through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). If you encounter any technical difficulties using the online application service, please call LSAC's Help Desk at (215) 968-1393.
Statistics
| Admissions Stats | ||
| Class of: | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT | 147 - 150 - 153 | 149 - 152 - 154 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA | 3.04 - 3.3 - 3.52 | 2.96 - 3.31 - 3.57 |
| Acceptance rate | 45.7% | 43.7% |
| Applications received | 812 | 919 |
| Acceptances | 371 | 402 |
| Matriculants | 34 | 38 |
Elon University School of Law has a 1L class size of 171 and a yield of 41.79%. 168 out of 402 applicants accepted, meaning that 41.79% of those offered admissions ended up attending the school. The median LSAT at Elon is 152, and the 25th percentile LSAT is 149. The median GPA is 3.31, and the 25th percentile GPA is 2.96.
Application and Fee
The applicant must submit a law school application along with the $50.00 application fee. This fee is not refundable and is not credited toward other fees in the event of admission. (This fee may be waived at the discretion of the administration)
LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a requirement for all applicants to the Elon University School of Law. The LSAC will request your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report. The CAS Report includes the results of all tests taken within the past five years. However, if it has been more than five years since you took a test, unusual circumstances must be demonstrated for the test results to be considered. If you have any questions about the LSAT or CAS Report, you can contact LSAC at (215) 968-1001 or www.lsac.org.
CAS
Applicants must register with CAS in order for Elon Law to receive a current Law School Report. It is the applicant's responsibility to meet all LSAC requirements and ensure Elon Law receives a completed CAS report.
Resume
Applicants who have a resumé should include it with their application. Even if a resumé is submitted, the applicant must still respond to all questions on the application.
Letters of Recommendation
The applicant must provide two letters of recommendation to be sent to CAS, who will then forward them to the Law School. The letters may be sent directly to the Law School if they address the applicant's fitness for Elon's program.
Interview
The law school interviews candidates they believe are a good fit for the school. This is part of their holistic approach to admitting students and allows the school and the candidate to learn more about each other. If you are invited for an interview, you will meet with a faculty member or administrator. In-person visits to the law school are preferred, as they allow you to tour the facility, speak with current students, sit in a class, and get a sense of the Elon Law community. However, they offer telephone and Zoom interviews if you are located in a different state. Every admitted student will have an interview, but not every applicant will be invited to one. If you are not invited for an interview, you are still welcome to visit the law school and speak with an admissions professional or student ambassador.
Cost of Attendance
Elon Law's innovative 2.5-year J.D. program is designed to reduce the cost of legal education and help students transition into their chosen career paths. The curriculum is designed to allow students to learn as much as possible in a shorter timeframe, setting them up for success after graduation. Scholarships and fellowships are available to help make the cost of attendance even lower. Entering students are also guaranteed that their tuition will not increase during their time at Elon Law.
The program enables students to:
When looking at the total cost of attendance for Elon Law's 2.5-year program, it is essential to compare it to other law schools' three-year total program costs. Many law schools increase their tuition each year, so a student attending one of those schools may pay more in their second and third years than they would have at Elon. In addition, many law schools charge additional fees for technology or student activities, but Elon does not. It is also important to note the percentage of students who receive scholarships and have those scholarships renewed after their first year at a school. Elon Law has a high renewal rate for scholarships, meaning that students who receive them are more likely to have them renewed for their second and third years.
| Year & Trimester | Tuition |
| First Year | |
| Introductory Session | $8,008 |
| Fall Trimester | $16,356 |
| Winter Trimester | $16,356 |
| Spring Trimester | $16,356 |
| Second Year | |
| Fall Trimester | $16,356 |
| Winter Trimester | $16,356 |
| Spring Trimester | $16,356 |
| Final Half Year | |
| Fall Trimester | $16,356 |
| Total Program | $122,500 |
Estimated Additional Expenses 2022-23
Elon Law has indirect costs in addition to tuition that include housing, food, books, and other school supplies, utilities, transportation, insurance, and other personal expenses. These additional living expenses are less than at other law schools because Elon Law is a 2.5-year program with a shortened third year. The cost of living in Greensboro is relatively low compared to many other urban areas, which helps reduce student expenses. The maximum amount a student may receive in financial aid for these indirect costs is listed below. However, actual expenses incurred by each student will be less than this amount, depending on personal choices. The Office of Financial Planning is available to assist with financial planning and creating a financial aid package.
| Estimated Additional Expenses for First-Year August Session (August 2022) | Estimated Expense |
| Room | $1,070 |
| Board | $715 |
| Utilities | $185 |
| Personal | $455 |
| Health Insurance | $667 |
| Rental Insurance | $43 |
| Books | $300 |
| Parking | $65 |
| Transportation | $500 |
| Total Estimated Additional Expenses-Introductory Session | $4,000 |
| Estimated Additional Expenses for Fall, Winter & Spring Trimesters Combined (Sept. 2022 – June 2023) | Estimated Expense |
| Room | $7,430 |
| Board | $5,005 |
| Utilities | $1,295 |
| Personal | $3,185 |
| Health Insurance | $2,001 |
| Rental Insurance | $299 |
| Books | $1,800 |
| Parking | $585 |
| Transportation | $3,500 |
| Total Estimated Additional Expenses – Fall, Winter & Spring Trimesters | $25,100 |
Again, as noted above, many Elon Law students do not incur this amount of additional expense due to their careful planning and spending choices and the low cost of living in Greensboro.
Law School Culture
Elon Law provides students with a well-rounded legal education, preparing them not only for their careers as attorneys but also for becoming leaders in the legal field. Through a variety of extracurricular activities and opportunities, students at Elon Law have many chances to develop their professional and social networks, strengthen their leadership skills and give back to the community. The Office of Career & Student Development provides students with the resources they need to take advantage of everything Elon Law has to offer.
Student Organization
The Law School offers a variety of student activities, organizations, and leadership opportunities that enrich the learning experience. These activities cover various interests and include academic, identity-based, political, and sports organizations. Student organizations bring prominent attorneys to speak on various topics, arrange competitions and social events, and field moot court teams in national competitions. The list of online groups reflects the diverse range of interests and backgrounds represented by students at Elon. New groups form periodically based on student interest.
Pro Bono and Public Interest
Pro bono service is designed to meet the legal needs of underrepresented groups. Examples of such work may include: charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, health, or educational organizations working to address the needs of persons of disadvantaged or limited means; individuals, groups, or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights; or activities seeking to improve the law, the legal system, or the legal profession.
Eligible pro bono work is uncompensated work completed for a nonprofit organization that otherwise could not afford legal services without significantly depleting its financial resources; a government program, such as the Guardian ad Litem program or a public defender’s office; or a private attorney representing a client on a no-fee basis. The work must be legal or law-related, requiring the utilization of legal skills developed in preparation for a career in law.
For these purposes, competing or assisting (coaching undergraduates or other advisory roles) in mock trial competitions is not pro bono work. Further, work provided for government entities does not qualify as pro bono work unless the service is designed to meet the needs of the aforementioned groups.
Academics and Curriculum
Elon Law School emphasizes experiential learning, which is reflected in the curriculum through opportunities for hands-on learning experiences such as full-time residencies-in-practice, team-based legal projects for nonprofits, lab courses, clinics, moot court and mock trial, and internships, and judicial clerkships. This approach to learning has earned the school recognition from preLaw Magazine as one of the most innovative law schools and one of the best schools for practical training.
Externships
Elon Law provides students with the opportunity to engage in a full-time residency-in-practice placement, or complete one or more externships. These placements give students the opportunity to gain experience in a law-related field under the supervision of an attorney or judge. The externship program provides students with the ability to progressively build their lawyering skills, as well as their professional network, in an area of their choosing.
Clinics
Elon Law's clinical programs provide students with essential lawyering skills and help individuals in need. The Guardian ad Litem Appellate Advocacy Clinic allows students to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in appeals of juvenile matters in the North Carolina Court of Appeals and North Carolina Supreme Court. The Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic at Elon University School of Law provides free legal services to low-income refugees and asylum seekers in North Carolina. The clinic began operations in January 2011. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic at Elon Law provides business-related legal services to entrepreneurs and small business owners who would not otherwise be able to afford legal representation. Students participating in the clinic develop analytical, planning, editorial, and counseling skills in the context of client projects and reality-grounded class work. Services provided by the clinic include, but are not limited to, choice of entity advising, organizational document drafting and review, contract review and drafting, employment and human resource advising, regulatory compliance, and drafting financing documentation. Elon Law’s Wills Drafting Clinic gives students the opportunity to represent low-income homeowners referred by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro. Students interview clients, draft documents to meet the needs of clients, conference with clients to explain and review documents, and oversee the self-proving signing protocol for those documents, all under the supervision of faculty. The wills drafting course operates as a firm, where students alternate serving as the firm’s managing partner. In firm meetings, students present an ethical problem related to will drafting and engage the class in a detailed exploration of legal issues surrounding a transfer of property at death in North Carolina.
Moot Court
The Moot Court Board at Elon Law invites rising 2L and 3L students to compete in the Intramural Moot Court Competition. The top students in this annual contest are invited to join the Moot Court Board and participate in its activities, which include sponsoring the intramural competition, hosting the Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition, and fielding teams in competitions across the country.
The Moot Court Board is a group of students who have excelled in the school's annual moot court competition. This competition is hosted each spring by the Board and involves teams of students coached by the law school's faculty. The students of the Moot Court Board have had great success in national competitions, and the Board also hosts an annual moot court competition that attracts teams from dozens of law schools.
Employment Prospects & Bar Passage
Elon's law graduates typically make around $55,000 if they go into the private sector after graduation. Approximately 58.5% of graduates work for law firms directly, while 1.1% clerk for a judge. A little over 11% of graduates choose to work in the public interest. 68% of graduates pass the bar on their first try.
Quality of Life
The law school is located in the heart of downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. This makes it a great location for students interested in pursuing a career in law, as there are several courts and law firms located close by. The U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina are both located within blocks of the school, as are several branches of the North Carolina General Court of Justice, including the Superior, District, Drug Treatment, Mental Health, and Small Claims Courts. The North Carolina Business Court is also housed inside the law school. This makes it a great location for students interested in pursuing a career in law, as they can gain practical experience by working at one of the many law firms or municipal offices located nearby.
Our “Top 10” List of Reasons to Make Greensboro Your Home for Law School
- Great weather! Elon Law is located in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, a region known for its mild climate, with four seasons, snowless than four times per year, and sunshine 217 days a year on average.
- The legal hub of central North Carolina, with federal and state courts, hundreds of law offices, and thousands of businesses
90 minutes to the mountains
- Less than three hours to the coast and beaches
- Dozens of amazing parks throughout the city, including an $11 million park two blocks from Elon Law
- The Greensboro Coliseum, home to major sports and entertainment events
- A minor league baseball stadium two blocks from Elon Law, an NBA G-League team, and a Downtown Greenway nearing completion
- Vibrant arts venues, including the million Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts two blocks from Elon Law
- Numerous golf courses and state parks are less than 30 minutes from downtown Greensboro
- Greensboro includes 47,000 students at seven colleges and universities, creating a dynamic social environment and catalyzing over $250 million in current development projects downtown
Synopsis
Elon University is the premier student-centered learning environment, preparing graduates to be the ethical leaders the world needs. Elon students are ambitious, curious, and compassionate, inspired to be big thinkers and creative problem-solvers. Elon University's location in the Piedmont region of North Carolina gives students the best of both worlds. The campus is small and friendly, while metropolitan areas nearby offer plenty of opportunities for having fun, living healthy, and taking advantage of cultural attractions. The town of Elon, where the university is located, has a downtown filled with locally owned businesses and conveniently located parks. Burlington, the closest city, is 10 minutes south of Elon.
Contact Information
Elon University School of Law
Admissions Office
100 Campus Drive
Elon, NC 27244
Phone: (888) ELON-LAW
Email: law@elon.edu
elon.edu/law
Summary
| Established | 1889 |
| Location | Elon, NC |
| Dean | Alan Woodlief |
| 2022 US News Ranking | 147 |
| LSAT Median Score | 152 |
| GPA Median Score | 3.31 |
| Bar Passage Rate | 68% (2022) |
| Employment Rate | 10% (2022) |
| Cost | $16,356 |
| Average Debt | $120,866 |
| Application Deadline | 15- July 2023 |
Forum and Discussion
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Reference
https://www.elon.edu/u/law/
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