In "The Elon Law Difference" video series, students and faculty describe the law school's personalized and supportive learning environment, integrated approach to career and professional development, emphasis on skills development and hands-on learning, and leadership and preceptor programs.
A summary of the strengths of an Elon University School of Law education that are explored in the video series follows:
Elon Law was established to be “a law school with a difference.” The law school’s founders and faculty recognize the need for law students to acquire greater practical experience, to be mentored by lawyers and to develop lawyering skills and professional values essential to success in a modern legal environment.
In addition to offering a rigorous core curriculum, taught by professors with broad national and international experience in law practice and more than 200 years of combined teaching experience, Elon’s innovative program of legal education includes a nationally recognized preceptor program in which attorneys mentor law students beginning in the first year of law school, a comprehensive leadership program, an emphasis on skills development and hands-on learning and an integrated approach to career and professional development, all in a personalized, supportive learning environment.
A personalized, supportive learning environment
Ask students at Elon what they value most about their legal education and the answer most often relates to the commitment of the faculty to the education and professional development of each law student, the faculty’s accessibility in and outside of class and the supportive, collegial environment of the student-body at the law school. With a 15 to 1 student/faculty ratio and a majority of classes with fewer than 25 students, the personalized learning environment at Elon Law allows for a close working relationship between students and faculty.
An integrated approach to career and professional development
Elon Law’s Center for Professional Development, formerly the Office of Career Services, opened in 2012 in a newly renovated 5,700 square foot facility adjacent to the law school’s main facility in downtown Greensboro. The professional staff of the center works closely with each student, along with students’ faculty advisers, executive coaches and preceptors, to develop short- and long-range plans for professional development and career success.
An emphasis on skills development and hands-on learning
Elon offers students extensive opportunities to practice litigation and advocacy skills, through an in-depth trial practice program, a broad legal research and writing program and opportunities to participate in a nationally competitive moot court program, a new mock trial program, three law clinics and numerous regional, state, national and international work placement opportunities (externships), with a special emphasis on Washington, D.C.
A nationally recognized attorney-student mentoring program
When The National Jurist ranked Elon Law as one of “America’s 20 most innovative law schools” in 2012, they noted that the Preceptor Program at Elon is one of the only programs in the country in which law students are mentored by attorneys beginning in the first year of law school.
A comprehensive leadership education program
Elon Law’s Leadership Program is one of the only programs of its kind in the country, offering students the opportunity to develop leadership skills that can propel them to excel at all levels of the profession and to solve challenges at regional, national and global levels. The program emphasizes direct client engagement and opportunities to study at the Center for Creative Leadership, ranked a top ten global provider of executive education by the Financial Times for ten consecutive years.
Watch “The Elon Law Difference” video series here.