It’s hard to believe that the University of South Carolina School of Law is already halfway through its 150th anniversary. Throughout the last year, the school has been making a name for itself. Some notable accomplishments include a move to its new home, faculty appointments, and the naming of two endowed chairs. The school also welcomed more than 200 new first-year students and hooded its 16 December graduates.
After four decades at South Carolina Law, dean Rob Wilcox is retiring. However, his impact will remain. In a sweeping change, the law school will add two new visiting professors for the current semester and expand its student programs. Another important change is the establishment of the Center for Empirical Studies in Law, which will train the next generation of lawyers to employ empirical techniques.
A new scholarship is available to South Carolina law students to improve outcomes for victims of domestic violence. Another program, the Veterans Legal Clinic, will open July 2. This clinic is directed by Clyde “Bennett” Gore Jr. and he’s planning to use his degree to help others.
During the first two weeks of this semester, the law library will close for a short period of time. However, the law library anticipates opening on May 30. Additionally, the School of Law will host an event to commemorate the reopening of its new home on May 27. The event will recognize the work of new and existing faculty and students.
The new home for the University of South Carolina School of Law is a state-of-the-art building with grand architecture and a modern technology infrastructure. The law school will now be joining 34 other academic departments across the campus, and it is expected to add more than 2100 students this coming academic year.
The new law school has a history of changing its curriculum to accommodate the needs of students, and that trend continues this semester. The school’s Office of Admissions is working to recruit a record number of applicants for the upcoming semester. And, it’s encouraging all students to develop the necessary skills and take advantage of the resources they have at their fingertips.
For the incoming class, the school is also celebrating one of the most academically talented groups in its history. This group meets or exceeds all of the latest metrics.
Professors Elizabeth Chambliss and Ann Eisenberg are both teaching a variety of classes this semester. These two teachers are also stepping up to the plate to serve as mentors for this semester’s incoming students. They are both also establishing a new scholarship that will provide assistance to future law students.
A third new addition to the law school’s faculty this semester is Bennett Nelson. He replaces Professor Jaclyn Cherry, who has served the law school for seven years. Although he grew up near the School of Law’s new location, Nelson has spent the majority of his career at UVA.
Attorney Gretchen McCord specializes in privacy and copyright law, and she’s also involved in social media law. She is a member of the Law Review and has previously been published in the New York Journal of Transnational Law.