Jacksonville University College of Law receives provisional ABA accreditation

March 8, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Jacksonville University College of Law, under the leadership of founding Dean Nick Allard, former Dean at Brooklyn Law School, achieves provisional ABA accreditation, paving the way for innovative legal education.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Andy Katz

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The Jacksonville University College of Law has been provisionally accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), a crucial step for the institution, enabling its students to sit for the bar exam and qualify for ABA-accredited school-exclusive jobs and clerkships, the school announced on Monday.

Jacksonville University President Tim Cost lauded the accreditation as a testament to the university’s vision and the collective efforts of its faculty, staff and leadership. The provisional status was pursued immediately after the College of Law was established, showcasing the university’s dedication to achieving this goal at the earliest opportunity.

The process for accreditation involved the submission of extensive documentation to the ABA, including a feasibility study and a detailed self-study, and concluded with a site visit by ABA-appointed legal educators. This thorough review affirmed the College of Law’s compliance with ABA standards, leading to a favorable vote by the ABA Accreditation Committee.

Nick Allard, founding dean of the College of Law, credited the achievement to years of planning and the support of the Jacksonville community. Vice Dean Margaret Dees highlighted the accreditation as a critical validation of the law school’s quality and its aspirations for the future.

“As a new institution, we can nimbly adapt to the latest best practices and teach our students about what 21st century lawyers need to do, such as teamwork, leadership, coping with uncertainty, and adapting to a world where the only constant is accelerating change,” said Allard, the former dean of Brooklyn Law School. “In my experience, it is easier to build new programs than to retrofit entrenched, outdated ones. We’ve already been offering a legal education like none other, and there are several ways we are doing so.

“The College of Law purposefully infuses important concepts and skills, such as bar exam preparation, professionalism and legal ethics, throughout the entire curriculum,” Allard continued. “We’re also preparing our students for the inevitability of A.I. becoming ubiquitous in law. While continuing to maintain and exceed ABA accreditation standards, we are also designing the best curriculum for students to prepare for the ever-changing world of law.”