Compliance with Federal state authorization regulations (notably 34 CFR 668.43) is intended to tie institutional compliance to state laws and regulations to participate in Title IV, HEA programs, regardless of modality. Pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1621, citizenship or authorized immigrant status is a prerequisite for a professional license in a state unless the state has enacted a law after August 22, 1996, which affirmatively provides for such eligibility.
The Charleston School of Law is fully accredited by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the American Bar Association. The JD Program offered by the Charleston School of Law meets state educational requirements for professional licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Each state has its own licensing process enacted through the states’ Supreme Court. In South Carolina, the Office of Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of South Carolina is responsible for accepting and processing applications for admission to practice law in South Carolina, including regular admission under Rule 402 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules, limited certificates to practice law and pro hac vice applications. The Office of Bar Admissions assists the Board of Law Examiners in facilitating the South Carolina Bar Examination and the Committee on Character and Fitness in processing applications for admission. Additionally, the Office of Bar Admissions provides certificates of good standing for those licensed to practice law in South Carolina and processes trial experiences and death penalty certifications.
All states have similar requirements. Students who wish to be licensed in another state are responsible for researching and following the procedures required by their state of choice. For more information, please visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.
The Charleston School of Law is an approved member of NC-SARA which is recognized by 49 states and the District of Columbia. Students who are enrolled in the Charleston School of Law and have a complaint about a course or experience should follow the School’s Procedures detailed in this Catalog and Student Handbook. If a student located in a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) state has a complaint about the law school operating under SARA, complaints must first go through the institution’s procedure for resolution of student grievances. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, the complaint may then be brought to the SARA portal agency in the institution’s home state:
https://che.sc.gov/sites/che/files/Documents/General%20Public/SC_SARA_Information.pdf.
Any questions please refer to Associate Dean Margaret Lawton, mlawton@charlestonlaw.edu.