FAMU Law School Gets Full Accreditation
Florida A&M University (FAMU) cleared a major hurdle when the American Bar Association (ABA) granted the university’s law school full accreditation in July.
“I applaud Dean LeRoy Pernell, his administration, faculty, and students for reaching this milestone,†said FAMU President James H. Ammons.
The school opened its door in 2000 to 89 students, but it faced a number of challenges including faculty dissent and lack of leadership stability. The ABA granted the college provisional accreditation in 2004 as the school went through a number of faculty changes including the arrival of Pernell in 2008.
The new dean implemented a number of sweeping changes, including the addition of 16 nationally recognized faculty members and a Center for International Law and Justice. Subsequently, the law school was recognized as the most diverse law school in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report in April.The FAMU College of Law is one of 189 law schools fully approved by the ABA. The accreditation takes effect immediately.
“Full accreditation by the ABA ensures that the 500-plus FAMU College of Law graduates can continue to sit for the bar exam in any state in the nation and it reaffirms what we have always known: that we have and will continue to provide our students with a great legal education,†Pernell said.
— Renita Burns