Elon Law began fall semester this week by welcoming its largest class ever. The 132 members of the Class of 2013 have a median Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score of 155, marking a third consecutive increase since 2008 in that element of the entering class profile. Members of the class also have demonstrated a strong commitment to service and leadership at undergraduate and graduate institutions and in the communities where they live and work.
In welcoming remarks to the class, law school dean George R. Johnson, Jr. asked students to consider the role of lawyers in addressing historic challenges facing the legal profession, the nation, and the world.
“What role can and should lawyers play in confronting the problems we face,” Johnson asked. “Or to put it more directly, more personally: what role can you, will you as an aspiring Elon lawyer play in meeting the challenges of your age? Lawyers have been indispensable to our national health and vitality. Lawyers must be so again, and even though it may appear bleak to us now, that will be part of your challenge, part of your responsibility.”
Sharon Gaskin, associate dean for admissions, emphasized the strong record of service that members of the class exhibited as undergraduates, graduate students and professionals, and their willingness to take on leadership roles to improve their communities and the organizations with which they’re involved.
“The Class of 2013 includes AmeriCorps members, teachers, scientists, engineers, business owners, several interns in the offices of U.S. senators and members of Congress, university student government presidents, and volunteers for organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters among many others,” Gaskin said. “We are proud of their interest in leadership and service for the benefit of others and we trust that their contributions to society, during their time at Elon and throughout their careers, will be significant.”
The Class of 2013 at Elon Law is comprised of a diverse and talented group of individuals. Some of the class’s unique characteristics include the following:
– the median age is 23
– 14 percent of the class are minorities
– students in the class come from 18 states and one foreign country
– they represent 48 undergraduate institutions
– they chose 26 different majors in their undergraduate work
Class of 2013 member Justin Ramey, a 2006 graduate of North Carolina A&T University with a degree in electrical engineering, said his service as President of the university’s Student Government Association, representing approximately 11,000 students, had piqued his interest in leadership and attracted him to Elon Law’s program of study.
“My leadership experiences opened my eyes to the world of serving and how fulfilling that can be,” Ramey said. “I think that the mental keenness required in this environment will put me in a better position to serve those who need it one day.”
Orientation for the class has included welcoming remarks and conversation with representatives from the American Bar Association, the North Carolina State Bar, and the North Carolina Bar Association.
The faculty at Elon Law offer entering students a multi-day Law School Success Program during orientation, intended to introduce students to law school in a way that illustrates the differences between legal education and undergraduate learning, while providing insights into how to prepare effectively and succeed as a law student.
The Class of 2013 also received an orientation to the Leadership Program at Elon Law and engaged in the school’s fifth annual Service Day on August 18, volunteering with 11 nonprofit institutions in Greensboro.
