PreLaw Magazine gives the Elon University School of Law an A+ for its experiential curriculum in an annual ranking recognizing legal programs that help students learn by doing.
An influential national magazine targeted to aspiring law school students has again named Elon University School of Law among the nation’s best for practical training.
Elon Law ranked #10 in PreLaw Magazine’s 2025 “Best Schools for Practical Training” and again earned an A+ for its curriculum and programs. It is the only North Carolina law school to make the publication’s Top 20 for the third consecutive year.
“Law students learn best by doing. That’s the foundation of an Elon Law education,” said Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer. “Our curriculum emphasizes skills training and hands-on learning led by expert faculty. We’re grateful for this recognition and proud that our students graduate ready to lead in their fields and communities.”
PreLaw Magazine graded and ranked schools based on student participation in clinics, externships, simulation courses, moot court and other special programs.
Elon Law offers students a broad array of opportunities to hone practical training skills throughout their 2.5 years of study. Those include:
- Full-time residencies-in-practice
- Lab and simulation courses
- Five clinics (immigration, small business and entrepreneurship, wills drafting, Social Security benefits and guardian ad litem appellate advocacy)
- Moot court and mock trial teams
- Internships, externships and judicial clerkships
- Bridge-to-practice courses
- Involvement with the Pro Bono Board
Elon Law adopted its 2.5-year, seven-trimester full-time curriculum in 2014, making it the only American law school to intentionally design a program where all students graduate in December and can sit for the February bar exam months ahead of peers from other institutions.
All students in the full-time program in Greensboro, N.C., complete a course-connected residency-in-practice during the winter or spring trimester of their second year. Residents work full-time for 10 weeks with a practicing attorney or judge to cultivate skills, values and judgment to help them excel as attorneys and deepen their understanding of various practice areas.
And by completing their legal studies nearly six months faster than traditional programs, Elon Law’s full-time graduates have lowered their average student debt at graduation by nearly a third since the curriculum was adopted.
For more information on Elon Law and the application process, visit the law school’s admissions page. Elon Law continues to actively admit the Elon Law Class of 2027, which is scheduled to enroll in August 2025.