An open house at the Elon School of Law in Greensboro Thursday, July 13 attracted members of the Greensboro Bar Association and students who will make up the school's first class. Details...
More than 200 guests visited the H. Michael Weaver Building to tour the building and meet faculty and staff members.
Leary Davis, dean of the School of Law, welcomed judges and attorneys from the Greensboro Bar Association and thanked them for their support of the new school, which will open for classes Aug. 10.
“We appreciate what you’ve done to help make this school a reality, and we’re really proud of the things you and our faculty are going to do together to make this an outstanding law school,” Davis said.
The Weaver Building will also house the North Carolina Business Court. Visitors toured the new courtroom, located on the main floor of the Weaver Building, where business court hearings will be held. Judge Ben Tennille, who has presided over the court since 1996, said the new courtroom will be “the finest 21st-century state of the art courtroom anywhere.”
Tennille said the new relationship between the business court and the School of Law will be positive for both.
“The legal profession is a lifelong learning process, and there couldn’t be a better place to have a working court than in this law school,” Tennille said. “The Elon Law School has already been a great resource for the North Carolina Business Court, and I envision great synergy between us in the future.”
Tracy Williams, who will enroll in the law school as part of the first class, said she’s ready for classes to start next month.
“I’ve been impressed with Elon throughout this process,” Williams said. “It looked like a good program and I really liked the fact that Dean Davis has had experience starting a law school before.” Williams said the open house and other events will help the first class of students make connections and friendships.
Dick Douglas, a fifth-generation Greensboro attorney who has practiced law since 1936, attended Thursday’s open house. He said the law school will be invaluable to downtown Greensboro and the city’s legal community.
“The fact that we will have an accredited law school here, that young lawyers are going to be coming to Greensboro to begin their life’s work, it’s wonderful,” Douglas said. “It means more than anything you can measure in dollars and cents.”