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Delaware’s newest law school commenced its inaugural classes with a smaller-than-expected enrollment of only 20 students. The Wilmington University School of Law initially aimed to enroll 65 students but faced challenges in recruiting due to its lack of accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA). The Dean of the law school, Phillip Closius, remains optimistic about the school’s long-term prospects despite the initial setback.
Closius acknowledged that his initial enrollment projection was overestimated and attributed the lower numbers to the difficulty of attracting students to a new law school seeking accreditation. The ABA accreditation is crucial, as most states require law graduates to earn their degree from an ABA-accredited institution to be eligible for the bar exam.
The school received 103 applications this year, a number that fell short of the required applications needed to meet the initial enrollment target of 65 students. Closius noted that approximately twice as many applications were required to achieve the desired enrollment figures.
The launch of Wilmington Law’s program is part of a growing interest in legal education by universities, following a nearly decade-long hiatus in new law school openings. In 2022, Jacksonville University College of Law opened its doors with an initial enrollment of 14 students. It expanded its first-year class this year to 27 students, indicating positive growth.
Another institution entering the legal education landscape is High Point University, a private Christian university in North Carolina, which plans to open a new law school in the upcoming year. As announced on its website, the school aims to begin accepting applications in September.
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While several law schools have faced closure between 2014 and 2021 due to financial challenges, low enrollment, and accreditation issues, Wilmington Law’s Dean Closius remains confident about the future. He anticipates that the enrollment will grow to 500 or more students once the school obtains ABA accreditation. The law school is set to become eligible for provisional ABA accreditation in the spring of 2025.
Closius emphasized that despite the smaller inaugural class, the students will receive extensive personal attention from the founding faculty members, who number seven in total. This intimate approach to legal education is intended to provide a unique one-on-one experience for students during their first year of studies.
Wilmington Law has positioned itself with distinctive features in the legal education landscape. It boasts relatively affordable tuition, currently set at $24,000 per year. Additionally, the school focuses on preparing students for the bar exam by implementing class assessments mirroring the format of the attorney licensing exam. The curriculum also emphasizes practical learning through externships, setting it apart from the offerings of many other law schools.
Dean Closius underlined the school’s commitment to offering an innovative approach to legal education. He stated that opening another law school with the same approach as numerous existing institutions held little appeal. Instead, Wilmington Law aims to stand out by providing a tailored and hands-on educational experience that equips graduates for success in the legal field.
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