Updated 12:09 a.m. Sept. 17 to include committee chair's decline to comment.
Elon University School of Law submitted an application for accreditation to the American Bar Association to establish a separate location in Charlotte. If the ABA approves Elon's application, it would mark the first instance of a law school operating in Charlotte since the Charlotte School of Law ceased operations in 2017.
Elon’s application was submitted in July and ABA has not yet made a public decision.
According to The New York Times, the Charlotte School of Law had its state license revoked due to concerns related to admissions and compliance with student aid laws.
Eric Townsend, Elon University School of Law assistant vice president for academic communications, declined to comment on Elon’s plans regarding the application. There will be a press conference Sept.19 at 330 W. Tremont Ave. where the university plans to announce the opening of its new "Elon in Charlotte Regional Center."
Chair of the committee leading the Charlotte initiative at Elon Law and Elon Law professor Scott Gaylord declined to comment prior to the event.
The lease for the space on Tremont Ave was approved on Aug. 8, according to the Triad Business Journal. The space is in South End, an expanding Charlotte neighborhood.
The Charlotte Business Journal also reported that the proposed Charlotte facility would not function as a standalone law school. Instead, students would have the opportunity to complete more than 16 credit hours and up to two-thirds of their degree in Charlotte with the requirement to complete some portion of the 2.5-year degree at the flagship law school in Greensboro.
The current school of law operates out of Greensboro and has been open since 2006. Elon Law offers a 2.5-year program and has 438 enrolled students. Earlier this summer, Zak Kramer took on his role as the new dean.
Elon and its expanding presence in Charlotte come just weeks after officially starting its Elon in Charlotte: The Sport Experience program. By participating, students live and intern in Charlotte while enrolled in three to four Elon courses.
This development aligns with a trend of universities expanding their presence in Charlotte. Namely, Northeastern University’s Center for Health Sciences relocated to South End and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School opened a location in uptown Charlotte, which is the site of its executive MBA program.