CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some people grow up, go to school and pursue their careers right out of college. Others take a little more time to find their calling.
For the latter group, Elon University's new part-time law program in Charlotte is working to prepare the next team of legal professionals in the area.
"If you feel a calling to serve people this is a great way to do it," Mecklenburg County Bar President Cary Davis said. "Folks need legal services."
Elon's program is built to be part-time and flexible, offering classes in the evening hours for those who work other jobs while pursuing a law degree. Zachary Kramer, the dean of Elon's law school, said an in-person experience is invaluable to graduates.
"There’s new energy, there’s opportunities for mentorship, creating pipelines for work," he said.
Applications for the law program opened Oct. 1. Once Elon gets the approval from national law officials, the school hopes to welcome 35 students in its inaugural class next year. The small class size is intentional, according to Kramer.
"We want it to be intimate, we want to make sure that we can give our students lots of attention and really address their needs as they’re funneling through the program," he explained.
It's been six years since Charlotte had its own law school, when the Charlotte School of Law closed in August of 2017. Davis, who's not only the county bar president but a practicing litigation attorney, says having a law program in the city will be great for small firms looking to hire locally.
"This certainly brings more legal talent to town," Davis said. "It’s exciting for legal employers."
Anyone interested in applying for Elon's law program can click here to learn about the application process, which includes taking the LSAT. The school also has several upcoming information sessions for potential students. There are sessions currently scheduled for November, February and April.
"We want to make sure that we’re there to answer questions," Kramer said. "We they need to know, get a sense of us, get a sense of the program. We want to make sure that we have lots of opportunities for them to do that."
Those sessions will be held where classes will take place next fall, at Elon University's Charlotte Regional Center on Tremont Avenue in South End.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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