Belmont University’s inaugural College of Law class will take their seats in fall 2011.
The first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years, Belmont’s College of Law is the university’s seventh college and fourth doctoral program. When at full capacity, it will enroll approximately 350 students.
“This university is focused on offering students a transformative education that enables their own civic engagement,” said Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. “Given the public role of many legal professionals, we believe a vital element of the Belmont Law education will be preparing our students for roles as community leaders and change agents.”
University officials cited a feasibility study indicating increasing need over the next decade for attorneys in Tennessee as well as in the region. Tennessee currently has fewer lawyers per capita (8.2 per 10,000) than nearly all of the states in which new American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law schools have opened in the past 10 years. In addition, there are hundreds of individuals interested in attending an ABA-approved law school in Tennessee who are currently unable to do so—in 2008, nearly 6,800 individuals applied for entrance to Tennessee’s three ABA-approved law schools, but only 1,773 were issued offers of admission.
The College will be integrated into Belmont’s main campus and offer specialties in areas that complement the university’s nationally-known undergraduate program offerings, including healthcare and entertainment business. Belmont will work closely with experts in the field, both locally and nationally, to prepare lawyers for the needs and types of legal practice for the future.
