The entering class at Elon Law engaged in hands-on learning throughout orientation week, August 4 to 7, contributing to the launch of the school’s groundbreaking new approach to legal education.
Comprised of 132 students, the class represents an 18 percent increase from the 2014 entering class and was selected from an applicant pool 16 percent higher than in 2014, indicating surging interest in Elon Law’s deeply experiential curriculum.
HANDS-ON LEARNING FROM DAY ONE
On August 4, the entering class met with leaders and clients of the East Market Development Corporation, Greensboro Housing Coalition and the Interactive Resource Center, conducting site visits across the city to experience the real-world impact of legal advocacy.
“How many other law schools bring clients on your first actual day of law school and have you interview them?” said first-year law student Anthony Rascati. “Elon has been doing a lot to differentiate itself from other law schools. You imagine just sitting in class on your first day, getting yelled at by professors telling you you’re not going to make it, that it’s just too tough for you, but here they believe in us and want us to go at things differently, and that will set us apart in the future.”
“It was our first day here at Elon and we were given that chance to actually work with clients from the Greensboro Housing Coalition,” said Tony Campbell. “We looked at a local problem in the community and explored how Elon can help on several legal matters. It’s a unique city, it has unique problems and we’re going to have solutions for them.”
Students also met with their faculty advisors in small groups on August 4.
“I like the accessibility to the faculty,” said entering student Jazzmine Burch. “It makes me more comfortable to go to them if I need help. I’m really hands-on and I like to actually do things in order to learn them fully, so when the school emphasized its experiential approach, that made me choose Elon. “
Entering students also met other members of their individual Student Success Teams, including professional development advisors and executive leadership coaches. In the days ahead, they will meet with their attorney mentors, assigned to them based on their initial interests in law and career goals.
ENGAGING LAWYER-LEADERS
On August 5, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx delivered the Call to Honor at Elon Law’s New Student Convocation, encouraging students to find their calling and use law to improve society.
“The law can create opportunity, or it can destroy it,” Foxx said. “A law can lift people up or it can hold folks down, and part of how you will be measured is how you use the unique skill sets you develop here to make our society better.”
A report on Secretary Foxx’s address is available here.
On August 7, the entering class travelled to Raleigh, North Carolina to meet with justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and the North Carolina Bar Association.
“Everywhere we went, they commented on how we were the first entering class to go to the bar association and to the Supreme Court,” said Stratton Stone. “For Elon to be the only law school to do that is encouraging. I enjoyed hearing from the NCBA leaders about all the support they offer, how connected they are and how every member of the Elon Law faculty is also a member of the NCBA, I think the only law school for which that is the case. The ties there, and the fact that the school is trying to get us involved and support us with connections as much as possible is really great. It makes me feel good about the choice I made to come here.”
“Getting to talk one on one with judges was really neat,” said first-year law student Danielle Wilson. “We got to ask them any questions we wanted to. It’s neat not only to hear perspectives from the lawyer’s side, but also from the judge’s side. I appreciated Justice Stephens’ advice for us to take any opportunity we can to learn as much as we can.”
“We got a hands on experience seeing the court houses, and that’s something most law schools don’t introduce you to,” said Shavonn Bennette. “We actually got to meet justices. You don’t do that in your first year of law school anywhere else.”
CONNECTING TO LEGAL HISTORY & CUTTING EDGE LAW
On August 6, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, the entering class participated in a screening of the movie Selma, followed by presentations and discussions with Emily Seawell L’15 and Nate Cook, Class of 2017, about their elections law and voting rights work with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ).
“I think it’s important to show students who are just starting out in law school different ways they can use their degrees to be civically engaged in the community, to be involved in law, but also policy, especially as its tied to the larger context of the country and its history,” said Seawell an SCSJ Post-Graduate Legal Fellow. “At Elon you have the opportunity to shape your own path. Being at Elon and playing a large role in the development of my own career path prepared me to do the same thing when I got into a practice role, being able to advocate not only for my own career but for our clients.”
“A bunch of students asked if they could meet again as we begin the school year, to get advice and to talk more about the cases we were involved in,” said Cook, who externed with SCSJ this summer. “I think that’s great. That’s something that I did, connecting with 2Ls and 3Ls last year, so to see that come full circle, and know that I can provide some sort of insight and benefit to new students, that was great to be able to do that and continue to do that as the school year starts up.”
At a luncheon on August 6, Elon University President Leo M. Lambert encouraged the entering class to participate fully in the intellectual, cultural and athletic resources of the university and spoke about the university’s enthusiasm and deep commitment to designing a transformative legal curriculum for the twenty-first century.
“This law school really reflects the values and the interests and the strengths of Elon University,” Lambert said, highlighting Elon Law’s student-centered faculty and connections with the legal profession through full-time residencies-in-practice. “What is enduring about an education at Elon is a really strong, powerful set of relationships, particularly with faculty, but also with staff and of course really strong peer to peer relationships that are going to be important to our graduates for the rest of their lives. Relationships matter. That’s what Elon is about. We are a place that intentionally cultivates relationships.”
THE ELON LAW DIFFERENCE
“I decided to come to Elon for everything offered here, the two and a half year program, how involved Elon is in the legal profession, and the students are more involved here than other schools,” said entering law student Amanda Scharber.
“I chose Elon for several reasons, because of the new two and a half year program, because they’re very student centered and because of the experiential learning program,” said Aarin Miles, a member of the entering class. “That’s why I chose Elon and so far it’s definitely living up to my expectations.”
On August 8, members of the entering class will participate in Elon Law’s annual day of service, volunteering their time at nonprofit organizations across Greensboro.
Learn more about the 2015 entering class at Elon Law here.
Details about Elon Law’s groundbreaking new approach to legal education are available here.