The 169 members of Elon University School of Law’s newest full-time students have a demonstrated passion for studying law and a wealth of prior academic and professional achievements.
Elon University School of Law enrolled its third largest class in history with the welcome of students from across the nation who moved to North Carolina for their legal education.
The 19th class to matriculate at Elon Law was drawn from nearly 1,000 applications.
Nor is the class unfamiliar with the legal profession. Members have interned or worked full time in a legal or law-related position: for law firms and judges, with district attorney offices, public defender offices, city attorneys, clerks of courts, police departments, and sheriff offices.
Several bring to law school professional backgrounds as paralegals or legal assistants. Others have volunteered as guardians ad litem and child advocates. One member of the class was a North Carolina Magistrate.
“We at Elon Law look forward to getting to know our newest students more and learning more about their wide variety of backgrounds and professional ambitions,” said Elon Law Vice Dean Alan Woodlief. We also look forward to witnessing their future accomplishments over the next two and a half years and throughout their careers as they channel energy, focus, and commitment to excellence and service in their new chosen profession.”
Highlights of Elon Law’s Class of 2025
Total Enrollment (as of August 8, 2024): 169
Average Age: 25 (ranging from 20 to 51)
Female-to-Male Ratio: 61% / 39%
Students of Color: 25%
Top States Represented:
- North Carolina: 54%
- South Carolina: 7%
- Virginia: 6.5%
- Florida: 6%
- Georgia & New York: 3.5% each
- Texas, Pennsylvania, and Maryland: 2.4% each
Ninety-three colleges and universities are counted among the alma maters of those in the Class of 2026. Top universities represented:
- UNC-Greensboro (12)
- Appalachian State University (11)
- UNC Charlotte (9)
- UNC Wilmington (8)
- UNC Chapel Hill (7)
- Elon University, Clemson University, and Virginia Tech (5 each)
- East Carolina University, North Carolina A&T, and University of South Carolina (3 each)
Many other private and public institutions are represented, including American University, Arizona State, Baylor, Davidson, Duke, Florida State, Lehigh, Marist, Texas Christian, the University of Arizona, the University of Georgia, the University of Florida, the University of Maryland, the University of Miami, the University of Virginia, and Xavier University.
One student graduated from the University of Toronto and another from Peking University.
More than 35 majors are represented in the class, with the most common being political science, criminal justice or criminology, business, psychology, biology, history, humanities, economics, environmental sciences, finance, philosophy, and sociology.
Twenty members of the class already hold advanced degrees, including at least one with a Ph.D. Many members of the class have studied abroad in countries that include Belgium, Morocco, Greece, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Hobbies, Interests, and Service
One member of the class was a professional soccer player and at least one other is an equestrian competitor. The class boasts a half marathoner and an ultra-marathoner, as well as a Half Iron Man competitor.
The class includes a violinist, several pianists, an opera performer, and former marching band members. Others have acted in theater productions and performed in choirs and musical groups. At least one class member has won vocal competitions, while another has self-published five novels.
Many members of the class have been active in their communities and express a belief in service to the world, nation, state and local communities. At least three were Eagle Scouts, while others have worked as camp counselors or have volunteered on mission trips and through organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Boys and Girls Clubs.
Nine members of the class report serving our country in the armed forces.
“To be sure, this is just a partial list of the accomplishments and prior service found within the Class of 2026,” Woodlief said. “It’s exciting to think of the many ways our new students will use their talents and interests in support of pro bono efforts and other service opportunities throughout law school and their careers.”
Orientation week programming for the Class of 2026 included and August 6 Convocation in Alumni Gym on Elon University’s main campus and a professionalism lunch immediately afterward.
Additional activities and programs will be rescheduled due to the impact from remnants of Hurricane Debby, which moved across the Carolinas in the latter part of the week.
About Elon University School of Law
Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.
Elon Law has graduated more than 1,500 alumni since opening its doors in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 440 students and the law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings, reaching #4 in the nation in 2024. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study for working professionals begins in Fall 2024 at Elon University’s Charlotte campus.