Encouraged by good progress in gaining financial backing for the establishment of a school of law, trustees at Elon University have decided to continue fund raising efforts, extending their original 60-day timeframe. The decision came in a board teleconference held May 11.
“Civic leaders in Greensboro have been enthusiastically received by foundations, corporations and individuals in that community and have assembled funding commitments for the law school totaling more than $6 million,” said Leo M. Lambert, Elon president. “By allowing the process to continue for additional time, we are confident that the goal of raising $10 million in start-up funding from external sources can be realized.”
A special task force comprised of faculty, trustees, alumni, administration and a student representative found that it is feasible and appropriate for Elon to create a law school, and that downtown Greensboro would be the best location for the school. On March 10, Elon trustees voted to endorse the law school in principle, but said adequate financing must be identified in the near future for the project to move forward.
Former Greensboro mayor Jim Melvin, president of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, has been working closely with President Lambert on fund raising efforts. Melvin is also working with the Greensboro City Council on an arrangement that would provide the former Central Public Library building for the school.
Trustees expressed their appreciation to Melvin and members of the Greensboro community for their excellent efforts to date in arranging financing. They directed the administration to begin taking steps to prepare for launching the law school in anticipation that the remaining funds will be raised. They asked that the president reconvene the board of trustees when there is significant progress to report. The university remains hopeful that the first class of law students will enroll in fall 2006.