by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Just like pursuing a college degree, receiving accreditation for a new academic institution is a long, arduous process. Florida Coastal School of Law is one such institution in the midst of slicing through the red tape to obtain full approval from the American Bar Association.
At the moment, FCSL has scored a favorable report from the accreditation committee responsible for considering their application. The ultimate decision, however, rests with the Council of the Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, a subdivision of the ABA. FCSL Dean Richard Hurt is optimistic about the outcome.
“We’ve gotten a favorable response from the committee,” he said. “We’re still on the early side. We anticipate full approval will come before May of the next academic year.”
A beginning is a very delicate thing. For the Florida Coastal School of Law, their first few years of operation were absolutely crucial.
Just like every other new law school, Florida Coastal had to wait two years before receiving any type of approval from the American Bar Association. Without getting the nod from the ABA to allow graduates to test for the state bar examination, a school would be as effective as a car without an engine.
“It [ABA approval] is critical,” explained FCSL’s Chancellor Don Lively. “If you offer a degree and the graduate can’t sit for the bar, you’re offering a service no one wants.”
Fortunately for the school, they have been provisionally approved by the ABA as of 1999 so even their first graduates were allowed to take the licensing test. Just like the competition, Florida Coastal had to wait two years after they came into existence before they could even apply for the provisional approval.
Initial investigations of the school to determine whether they are in substantial compliance with ABA standards is mandatory. The ABA sends out a five to six person site evaluation team to look around, gather facts and ask questions. Findings and recommendations are reported to the accreditation committee of the Council for review. Subsequently, the House of Delegates, the general body of the ABA, authorizes the decision of Council.
Until the Council makes a determination about the school’s fate, the status of their accreditation is in limbo. In the interim, Florida Coastal must submit a self-study to the association each year and agree to annual visits.
“You’re monitored and assessed carefully,” said Lively. “When you’re fully approved, you are visited by the ABA every seven years. Substantively, there is not much difference.”
Lively’s focus is on achieving the full accreditation status promptly.
Full approval must be reached within five years following the inception of the institution.
“Full approval takes the institution to a level that established schools are at,” explained Lively. “It connotes a level of quality, certainty and presence that is desirable. You want to present yourself as a non-troubled institution.”
He had made an appearance before the committee in June but the issue has not been brought to Council yet.
With the ABA’s full approval, the already steadily rising enrollment at the institution will likely climb higher.
“We are in a dramatic upswing nationally in law school admissions and we’re riding that wave,” he said.
Full approval also means the school can diversify into other law-related areas besides just offering a juris doctorate degree.
“We can offer advanced master’s degrees and new educational ventures,” said Lively.
“There will be opportunities on the international scene and in providing information about the law that there’s a high demand for.”