When orientation for the 2023-24 academic year begins Aug. 7 at the Jacksonville University College of Law, 27 students will comprise the second cohort of juris doctor candidates.
The 13 women and 14 men will share JU’s urban campus at VyStar Tower Downtown with all members of last year’s inaugural class of 14 students, who begin their 2L year next week.
“We are nearly twice the class size in our second year. We are slowly building this law school, brick by brick,” Founding Randall C. Berg Jr. JU College of Law Dean Nick Allard said.
Applications were received from across the U.S. Four of the first-year students are JU undergraduates and the 1L class ranges in age from 20 to 48.
“We are being extra selective. That’s the way to ensure the success of the law school. We want a priceless experience for our students,” Allard said.
Like last year, this will be a year of “firsts” for Jacksonville’s law school.
“We are setting up a student Bar association, establishing a moot court team and we will publish the first Jacksonville University Law Review. It’s also the first class that has an older class that can be mentors,” Allard said.
In addition to conducting classes, Allard and the faculty are working on securing accreditation for the school from the American Bar Association.
“We will have a site visit this fall and we are about ready to hit ‘send’ on the massive documentation we are required to submit,” he said.