Accreditation

FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson and I recently received a report from the American Bar Association (ABA) based on the site visit that took place at the FAMU College of Law in Orlando on March 25-28, 2012. The 86-page report was prepared for the use of the ABA and not for public release. It was intended for the exclusive use and information of those persons authorized by the ABA to receive it. The report was recently released to the news media in response to a public records request. I have drafted this letter to provide some facts about the Law School Accreditation Process and to address some of the inquiries we have received about the report.

• The report is not a finding of compliance or non-compliance with accreditation standards of the ABA.  It would be premature at this juncture to speculate about the report’s impact on accreditation because the ABA Committee on Accreditation will not make a determination until January of 2013.
• The FAMU College of Law was determined to be in full compliance with ABA standards in 2009, when we were fully approved. This report is a part of the normal scheduled review of accreditation.
• It is typical of these reports to be very critical of programs and, especially to highlight a range of teaching.
• The process affords the law school 30 days to comment on the findings, pointing out factual errors and supplementing the self-study with updates or additional information acquired since the site visit.
• The report does not include the numerous changes and improvements that have occurred at the College of Law since the site team visit.  A few of those developments include:
  • Comprehensive devotion of programming and support changes in the Academic Success and Bar Prep Program, which have already produced significant improvement in Florida Bar passage with the most recent first-time bar passage rate of 68.1 percent for the July 2012 exam. This represents both a five percent improvement in performance and a record high. This is the second FAMU College of Law bar result in a row to set a record for first-time Florida bar performance.
  • Increased participation in the Bar Exam Success Training (BEST) program, with the total number of participants increasing from 13 studying for the February 2012 bar exam to 56 studying for the July 2012 bar exam. BEST participants made up 57.8 percent of first-time takers who passed the February 2012 Florida Bar exam and 76.6 percent of those who passed the July 2012 Florida Bar Exam. More than 80 percent of the BEST participants passed the Florida Bar exam on the first try in February and July 2012.
  • The filling of several key administrative positions, including the Assistant Dean for Admissions and the Coordinator for Career Planning and Placement.

 We are preparing a response to the report as we continue overall improvement efforts at the FAMU College of Law. Our goal is to keep all of our constituents informed of our progress along the way. I will provide more updates to you, and I invite you to share your concerns with me. While we are unable to make copies of the report for every individual who might be interested in reading it, we will make a copy available for review during regular business hours. Please stop by the Deans Suite on the third floor and/or contact Michelle Jackson at michelle.jackson@famu.edu or 407-254-3257 to make arrangements to view a copy of the report.

In the interim, I want to ask for your support to serve as an ambassador on behalf of the College of law, sharing the news about the positive things that are taking place as we seek to fulfill our mission of developing legal professionals and community leaders committed to equitable justice and the rule of law. Thank you, in advance, for your support and encouragement.

Sincerely,

LeRoy Pernell, Dean

Orlando, Fla. – The American Bar Association Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar granted full approval to Florida A&M University College of Law during its meeting in Chicago on July 30, 2009, according to FAMU President James H. Ammons.

“I applaud Dean Pernell, his administration, faculty, and students for reaching this milestone,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons.  “This achievement speaks volumes about their hard work, dedication and commitment.”

Ammons announced the Council’s decision regarding accreditation during a press conference held in the ceremonial moot courtroom of the FAMU College of Law in downtown Orlando. He was joined by FAMU Board of Trustees Chairman C. William Jennings, Law School Dean LeRoy Pernell, Former FAMU President Frederick Humphries, dozens of university administrations, law school alumni, friends and supporters.

“Critics of our school once said that the mountain was too steep to climb,” said Dean Pernell. “When faced with a mountain you have to cross, the slope is irrelevant.  The Council’s decision is a reflection of the resilience, perseverance and commitment of the university, our students, faculty and staff to the mission of the FAMU College of Law.”

Under the rules of the ABA, the Council’s decision is final and effective immediately, subject to review by the ABA House of Delegates. While the House of Delegates may request reconsideration of the Council’s decision, the group has never done so in the history of the ABA.

“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. 

The FAMU College of Law becomes one of only 189 law schools fully approved by the ABA.  To remain in compliance with ABA standards, the FAMU College of Law will undergo its next full site evaluation in three years then reviews every seven years thereafter.

The FAMU College of Law was reestablished in 2000 and opened its doors to 89 students in 2002. The ABA granted the law school provisional accreditation in August 2004.  Since that time, the FAMU College of Law continued to grow and pursue its mission.

 With the arrival of Ammons from North Carolina Central University in July 2007, and Pernell from Northern Illinois University's College of Law in January 2008, sweeping changes and improvements followed at the law school. The changes included the addition of 16 nationally-recognized faculty members and a new Center for International Law and Justice (CILJ) at the start of the Fall 2008 semester.  Law faculty publication and scholarship output increased; the law school was recognized as the most diverse law school in the nation by U.S. News and World Report; and was ranked seventh nationally for providing clinical opportunities by National Jurist magazine. The campus was enhanced also with the opening of the FAMU Café in December 2008 and the FAMU Bookstore in January 2009.

“This is a significant milestone for FAMU,” Ammons said. “But it’s just the beginning of a long journey to make the College of Law a premiere institution of legal education, committed to its history of making an indelible mark on the community and the world.”

The law school was created with a specific mission —  to “meet the educational needs of African Americans and other ethnic minorities, while maintaining its leadership in racial diversity.”