Law School Applications Rise

North Carolina Central University School of Law

North Carolina Law School Found Non-Compliant

North Carolina Central University’s Law School (NCCU) has been found to be non-compliant with American Bar Association (ABA) standards.
CBS News reports that the ABA sent a letter to the law school earlier this month citing the school’s admission of “applicants who do not appear capable of satisfactorily completing its educational program and being admitted to the bar.”

‘School Of Opportunity’ Legacy

In response, NCCU Law announced this week that it would reduce first-year law enrollment in order to stay compliant with the ABA. In addition, according to The News & Observer, the law schools will further examine admissions standards, curriculum, faculty preparedness, and leadership at the law school.
NCCU Chancellor Johnson Akinleye says that NCCU Law will continue upholding its legacy of providing students with the opportunity to study law.

Dr. Johnson Akinleye


“That tradition and that legacy has not changed,” he says.  “And it will continue. This is what we are all invested in.”
Josh Sotomayor is a third year NCCU Law student. Sotomayor tells CBS that the school has upheld its legacy of providing opportunities for aspiring lawyers who may not have gotten the same opportunity elsewhere.
“A lot of people became attorneys who otherwise wouldn’t, who deserve to be attorneys. But then other people were able to come and try out law school that otherwise likely wouldn’t have,” he says. “As a result of the opportunity extended by the institution, you did see a large number of people not make it back.”
Low Bar Passage Rate
According to data provided by Above The Law, July 2017 saw over 80% passage rate from first time takers of the bar exam at Duke, UNC, and Campbell. NCCU struggled with a passage rate of 56.7%.
For T. Greg Doucette, a 2012 NCCU Law graduate and head of the NCCU Law alumni association, the solution is a matter of struggling students reaching out for help.
“We have faculty here that are distinguished in their field. We have a lot of academic support to help (students) out,” he tells CBS. “They’ve got to make sure they’re doing what they can to complete the coursework and ask for help when they need it.”
Sources: CBS, The News & Observer

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