Criminal doctrine claims to distinguish morally culpable action from conduct driven by severe mental disease or defect. Yet in practice, society remains deeply resistant to extending even minimal grace when punishment is at stake. We love to punish, and we distrust anything that resembles an excuse. The defendant before me needed treatment; he needed help. But within a system oriented toward retribution, illness collapses into guilt. The institutional response becomes predictable: contain, control and confine the beast.

Nothing in a casebook prepared me for the raw immediacy of a mind splintered long before the law judged him.

His delusions dominated the evidence. I listened to voicemails he left after beating his mother beyond recognition with the leg of a table. He referred to himself as a Navy SEAL and carried on a conversation with someone who existed only in his mind. The forensic psychiatrist explained how his inward and outward projections tethered him to an alternate reality. In that reality, CIA agents listened through devices in his teeth and loved ones were replaced by alien spies.

The murder scene reflected this fractured world: He believed he had killed the alien inhabiting his mother鈥檚 body and attempted to give her a new one. He called his family and described the event in a chilling voice that even his social worker said didn鈥檛 sound like him.

As the psychiatrist detailed the defendant鈥檚 psychosis, the voices that commanded him and the delusional system shaping his actions, I felt the weight of the law鈥檚 expectations pressing against the limits of human cognition. We ask jurors 鈥� ordinary people with no psychiatric training 鈥� to translate hallucinations and delusions into legal categories.

Mental illness exists on a scientific spectrum. Insanity, by contrast, is a legal term of art. South Carolina, like many states moving away from the insanity defense, is taking a giant leap in the wrong direction.

A finding of 鈥渘ot criminally responsible鈥� due to paranoid schizophrenia should carry substantial moral and legal weight, yet it rarely moves a modern jury. Cultural narratives about personal responsibility and dangerousness prime jurors to distrust the very concept. To compound the problem, South Carolina provides no instruction about the consequences of a verdict. Courts warn that 鈥渇ocusing on outcomes could prejudice the jury,鈥� leaving jurors to choose among vague constructs like 鈥淕uilty but Mentally Ill鈥� (GBMI), a verdict functionally indistinguishable from guilty. GBMI reflects a deeper cultural shift: Mental illness itself is becoming morally blameworthy.

That trial stayed with me. It revealed the limits of our current system and the urgency of reform. It pushed me to study GBMI, juror misunderstanding and the consequences of sanism in criminal adjudication. If justice is to mean anything for defendants whose minds break from reality, the law must bridge the gap between doctrine and science.

Tarrah Casey L鈥�26 is a third-year student at Elon Law and presented her research on how courts evaluate remorse in sentencing autistic defendants at the 2025 Autism Law Summit. She completed her Residency-in-Practice, Elon Law鈥檚 signature experiential learning program in which students learn the law by praticing it, at Sarratt & Horta Vorse, P.A., in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Plain White T’s聽headlined last year聽with over聽2,000聽alumni, students and friends聽in attendance!聽As a fan-favorite Homecoming event,聽Rock the Block will once again transform into a full music festival experience featuring a variety of food trucks, a bar, activities and an end-of-night fireworks show.

O鈥橬eal聽will聽perform聽from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Rock the Block and the Homecoming聽Concert are open to all members of the Elon community for free, so register for today!

Last year, Kramer challenged the Class of 2025 to achieve an overall first-time bar passage rate of 83%, a mark that would have been the highest in Elon Law history.

The class鈥檚 Student Bar Association president had a counterproposal: What if they reached 85%? Would the dean get a tattoo?

Kramer said yes.

The Class of 2025 responded with a 90.9% overall first-time bar passage rate across North Carolina and 11 other states.

On Sept. 4, Kramer responded by rolling up his sleeve.

At Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville, North Carolina, shop co-founder and tattoo artist Annie Bella inked 鈥淥ne and Done鈥� on the dean’s arm, a reference to Elon Law鈥檚 slogan around bar preparation and passing the bar examination on the first try.

Law School Dean Zak Kramer kept his promise to the Class of 2025, emblazoning the "One and Done" slogan permanently on his left arm Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.

Dean Zak Kramer's expressive face was on full display as he got his "One and Done" tattoo Friday, Sept. 4, at Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville.

Dean Zak Kramer laughs as Annie Bella of Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville completes the mark on his left arm.

Artist Annie Bella of Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville completes detail work on Dean Zak Kramer's tattoo.

Dean Zak Kramer grimaces as tattoo artist Annie Bella of Frozen Pines Tattoo in Gibsonville begins work.

Law School dean Zak Kramer sits for a 鈥�1 and done鈥� tattoo on September 04, 2026.

Law School Dean Zak Kramer admires the 鈥淥ne and Done鈥� tattoo on his arm Sept. 04, 2026, at Frozen Pine Tattoo in Gibsonville.

Law School Dean Zak Kramer admires the 鈥淥ne and Done鈥� tattoo on his arm Sept. 04, 2026, at Frozen Pine Tattoo in Gibsonville.

Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer kept his promise to the Class of 2025, emblazoning the "One and Done" slogan permanently on his left arm Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.

The tattoo celebrates a significant achievement for the Class of 2025 and Elon Law. In addition to the 90.9% overall first-time passage rate nationwide, class members taking spring exams also achieved a 91.96% first-time passage rate on the North Carolina Bar Examination.

Elon Law鈥檚 accelerated 2.5-year J.D. program allows students to graduate in December and take the bar in February, months ahead of the traditional three-year law school timeline.

Kramer isn鈥檛 letting the Class of 2026 rest on its predecessors鈥� success. He’s challenged this December鈥檚 graduating class to raise the bar again when they sit for the exam in February.

What kinds of promises will he make them? That remains to be seen.

So, how did this one go?

鈥淥w,鈥� Kramer said just afterward, 鈥渂ut I鈥檓 happy to do it. Proud of the students.鈥�

鈥淎 deal鈥檚 a deal.鈥�

New members were selected based on their academic standing, quality of legal writing, and strong performances in the school鈥檚 oral advocacy competition and auditions.

Moot Court Board

Thirty-eight members of the Class of 2027 have been named to the Moot Court Board:

• Brianna Arnovits L鈥�27
• Aislynn Bell L鈥�27
• Gabrielle Brown L鈥�27
• Vivian Camplin L鈥�27
• Megan Chen L鈥�27
• Will Courts L鈥�27
• Kali Crooks L鈥�27
• Madison Curtis L鈥�27
• Samantha Davis L鈥�27
• Frank Deronja L鈥�27
• Aarya Deshmukh L鈥�27
• Madison Emsermann L鈥�27
• Paulina Escobar L鈥�27
• Skylar Flechsig L鈥�27
• Kayleigh Foster L鈥�27
• Jacqueline Gardner L鈥�27
• Abigail Halloway L鈥�27
• Zaria Hanchell L鈥�27
• Kyla King L鈥�27
• Arden Latham L鈥�27
• Anthony Logrono L鈥�27
• Nicole Malagon L鈥�27
• Michael Maroney L鈥�27
• Kassidy Neuner L鈥�27
• Addison Noe L鈥�27
• Grant Paramore L鈥�27
• Carson Patterson L鈥�27
• Bryanna Rediger L鈥�27
• Clare Rudolph L鈥�27
• Queen Salaam L鈥�27
• Alex Sarmiento L鈥�27
• Lily Selznick L鈥�27
• McKenzie Swedin L鈥�27
• Baron Turner L鈥�27
• Avery Vidt L鈥�27
• Rachel Wilson L鈥�27
• Adelaide Zahren L鈥�27
• Libby Zapor L鈥�27

Board members were selected based on a combination of their performance in the spring 2026 Intramural Moot Court Competition, their appellate brief writing in Legal Method and Communication, and their overall academic record.

Members of the Moot Court Board represent Elon Law in external appellate advocacy competitions and help organize the law school鈥檚 internal and national moot court competitions.

鈥淭hese new board members have demonstrated that they can analyze difficult legal questions, craft persuasive arguments and advocate effectively before a panel of judges,鈥� said Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief, director of Elon Law鈥檚 Moot Court Program. 鈥淲e look forward to seeing them represent Elon Law in competitions across the country and work alongside our Class of 2026 board members to host this fall鈥檚 17th Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition.鈥�

The new members will also help organize Elon Law鈥檚 spring 2027 Intramural Moot Court Competition and the fall 2027 Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition.

Mock Trial Team

Following auditions last spring, eight members of the Class of 2027 were also selected for Elon Law鈥檚 2026鈥�2027 Mock Trial Team:

• Aislynn Bell L鈥�27
• Gabrielle Brown L鈥�27
• Sam Grant L鈥�27
• Kyla King L鈥�27
• Arden Latham L鈥�27
• Grant Paramore L鈥�27
• Avery Vidt L鈥�27
• Rachel Wilson L鈥�27

The Mock Trial Team gives students opportunities to develop courtroom advocacy skills and represent Elon Law in trial competitions.

鈥淭hese students put in the work and brought their A-game to earn their places on the team,鈥� said Adjunct Professor of Law Bob Minarcin, who coordinates Elon Law鈥檚 Mock Trial program. 鈥淗ere’s to a fantastic season and an even better team.鈥�

Professor of Law Enrique Armijo recently , an independent nonprofit newsroom that includes Los Angeles’s largest NPR station, about the $18 million Meta settlement.

According to LAist, Meta agreed Wednesday to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement that ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by nearly every state.

鈥淭he idea of having people at the very highest levels of Facebook and Instagram testifying about what they knew with respect to whether or not these apps were harmful to minors in light of some research that the state attorneys general had unearthed, with the help of some whistleblowers, …. a big company like Facebook often is engaged in these kinds of studies on its own,” Armijo said. “When some of that information came to light, I just think it was going to be very difficult for Mark Zuckerberg in particular … to actually have to stand up there and talk about what he knew and did not know in light of some of this information that had come to light over the course of years of litigating against these companies.鈥�

Meta鈥檚 settlement includes additional penalties, which are contingent on the outcomes of similar lawsuits against TikTok, YouTube and Snap. As it stands, changes to Facebook and Instagram are expected to include limits on time usage for younger users, and features such as like counts.

“I think it’s safe to assume that Meta will continue to make some legal arguments that it can’t be held liable for user content,” said Armijo. “And there are two basic reasons underlying that argument. One, Section 230 of the Communications Act, which basically says that Meta cannot be held liable for the content of its users … I think that’s really still an open question. No ultimate court, certainly not the Supreme Court, has concluded that Section 230 covers this type of lawsuit. And the other thing is the First Amendment. These platforms have and will, I think, continue to make the argument that the way their users consume their content is editorial in nature.”

Assistant Professor of Law Robert Craig, Assistant Dean of Experiential Education Bryant Park, Assistant Professor of Law Susan Ross and Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone join the law school with professional backgrounds spanning federal courts, civil rights advocacy, corporate legal practice, career and experiential education and federal immigration policy. Their experiences will shape courses and programs that prepare students for both the intellectual demands and practical realities of the legal profession.

Craig, Park and Ross are based in Greensboro, while Scavone returns to the School of Law as a member of the faculty in Charlotte.

Here鈥檚 a bit more about each of them as Elon Law prepares to begin the Fall trimester next week.

Robert Craig, Assistant Professor of Law

Robert Craig brings to Elon Law a career spanning the K-12 classroom, federal courts and constitutional civil rights advocacy.

A Tucson, Arizona, native, Craig studied philosophy and political science at the University of Arizona before joining Teach For America and teaching fifth grade in Phoenix. He earned a master鈥檚 degree in elementary education from Arizona State University and later a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Craig clerked for Judge Andrew D. Hurwitz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge James A. Soto of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. He then spent seven years in nonprofit legal practice focused on plaintiffs-side federal constitutional and civil rights issues, including due process, private prisons and the delegation of government authority.

At Elon, Craig will teach Constitutional Law I & II and First Amendment. He was drawn to the law school鈥檚 emphasis on innovative and experiential teaching 鈥� something he has considered throughout a career that began in an elementary school classroom.

Craig enjoys seeing students grasp new ideas, but teaching also allows him to encounter familiar cases and concepts through students鈥� perspectives. Each semester offers a chance to learn something new and refine his approach.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a built-in natural way to get better,鈥� he said.

Craig and his wife, Erin Duncan-O鈥橬eill, have two children, Connor and Wren. Outside the classroom, he enjoys golf, soccer, games, and science-fiction and fantasy novels.

Bryant Park, Assistant Dean of Experiential Education

Bryant Park joined Elon Law to lead the continued refinement and growth of its signature Residency-in-Practice Program in Greensboro and Charlotte.

The program places every full-time student in an immersive legal setting during their second year, where they work alongside attorneys and judges while developing the practical skills, professional judgment and confidence needed to enter the profession. Park was drawn to a model that ensures every full-time student receives that experience.

鈥淟aw school does a great job of helping you think like a lawyer, but not necessarily all the nitty-gritty of how to be a lawyer,鈥� Park said. At Elon Law, the required Residency bridges that gap for every student through experience working with clients and colleagues and learning the everyday mechanics of legal practice.

Park brings experience in legal practice, career development and experiential education. He began his career practicing family and elder law in Wisconsin and most recently served as senior associate director of career and professional development at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law.

A first-generation law student and lawyer, Park earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in English creative writing from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and his J.D. from Marquette University Law School. The Wisconsin native enjoys puzzles, LEGO and figuring out how things work. He recently built his first computer 鈥� and discovered he enjoyed building it as much as using it.

Susan Ross, Assistant Professor of Law

After two years as a visiting professor, Susan Ross joins Elon Law鈥檚 full-time Legal Method & Communication faculty with decades of experience spanning engineering and corporate law.

Ross spent much of her legal career as an in-house attorney, including nearly a decade with Vontier and Gilbarco Veeder-Root and seven years with a Triangle-based technology company later acquired by Oracle. Her work encompassed contracts and negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, litigation management, environmental matters and corporate management, including service as chief legal officer for the Americas.

Raised in Arizona, Ross studied engineering at Duke University before working as an engineer and earning her J.D. from Arizona State University. She has taught throughout her career, from tutoring and serving as a teaching assistant to leading continuing legal education programs.

At Elon, Ross teaches Legal Method & Communication courses and is developing a course on artificial intelligence and the practice of law. Having seen the internet transform legal practice early in her career, she views AI as the profession鈥檚 next technological shift.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to get rid of AI,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淲e need to lean into it and find a way to teach students to use it responsibly.鈥�

Ross, a longtime Greensboro resident, has an adult son and two dogs. And students can expect each class to begin with one of her favorite teaching tools: a dad joke.

Heather Scavone, Assistant Professor of Law

Heather Scavone returns to Elon Law with deep roots at the law school and years of experience shaping federal immigration policy.

Scavone first joined Elon in 2010 after directing a Greensboro legal services program for refugees. Working with founding faculty member Helen Grant, she helped establish Elon Law鈥檚 Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic, creating an opportunity for students to serve clients while putting their legal education into practice.

She left Elon in 2018 to join U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she served as associate counsel in the Refugee Asylum Law Division of the Office of the Chief Counsel. During her federal service, she served as a legal and policy advisor to USCIS and DHS leadership on matters involving humanitarian protection, administrative law, national security, and federal immigration policy. Her work included advising on complex regulatory and statutory issues, supporting the Department of Justice in class action litigation, drafting certiorari recommendations to the U.S. Office of the Solicitor General, and briefing members of Congress and senior executive branch officials on areas of subject-matter expertise.

Now an assistant professor at Elon Law in Charlotte, Scavone will teach Constitutional Law and Professional Responsibility. Her executive branch experience provides a particularly timely foundation for exploring constitutional law and separation of powers with students.

For Scavone, teaching offers another way to expand the impact of her legal career. Students who have transformative experiences in law school, she said, become 鈥渢he ripples that just keep going out鈥� as they serve clients and communities.

Scavone earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in French from Guilford College and her J.D., cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Outside of the classroom, Scavone enjoys baking, playing traditional Irish music with her father, and going on international adventures with her husband and children.

鈥淎 Changing Landscape: Immigration Law in the 21st Century鈥� will bring attorneys and scholars to 福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law in downtown Greensboro on Friday, Sept. 25, to examine the complexities of the nation鈥檚 laws and policies.

The symposium will explore how questions surrounding borders, power and the rule of law intersect with contemporary legal challenges. Speakers will address asylum, policy changes, family immigration law, as well as employment and humanitarian issues at the day-long event.

A Changing Landscape: Immigration Law in the 21st Century

Friday, Sept. 25, 2026

9 a.m. 鈥� 4 p.m.

福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law

201 N. Greene St.

Greensboro, NC 27401

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Please register early to reserve a spot.

Keynote Address

鈥淭he Complexities of Immigration Policy鈥�

, founder of New Frontier Immigration Law and TEDx speaker

Panel Discussions

Seeking Asylum 鈥� Hands-On Immigration Law

• Dara Arroyo-Longoria L鈥�22, attorney at McKinney Immigration Law
• Heather Scavone, assistant professor of law and former associate counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

American Immigration

• Jordin Dickerson, assistant professor of political science and public administration at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke
• Tolulope Folokun, assistant professor of law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
• Allen Orr Jr., founder and principal attorney of Orr Immigration Law Firm

The Family Immigration Landscape

• Kailey Houck, judicial law clerk for Justice Melissa Hart and Justice Susan Blanco of the Colorado Supreme Court
• Maria Rosales, executive director of FaithAction International

In addition to the keynote address and panel discussions, the symposium will feature remarks from Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer; Chief Symposium Editor Rose Peterson L鈥�26; Co-Symposium Editors Abigail MacKnight L鈥�26 and Lauren Collins L鈥�26; and Elon Law Review Editor-in-Chief Rachel Claffee L鈥�26.

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law Review

The Elon Law Review is a student-edited legal journal that publishes scholarship examining emerging issues and developments in the law. Through its scholarship and annual symposium, the Law Review fosters legal dialogue among scholars, attorneys, judges and students while contributing to the study and practice of law.

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time Residency-in-Practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school鈥檚 distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, providing exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since its establishment in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 600 students, and the law school is regularly featured in the top tier of preLaw Magazine鈥檚 鈥淏est Schools for Practical Training鈥� rankings.

Elon Law offers full-time legal education in Greensboro and a part-time, in-person Flex Program in Charlotte. In 2026, the American Bar Association approved Elon Law to expand its signature 2.5-year J.D. program to Charlotte.

Beginning in Fall 2027, students in Charlotte鈥檚 full-time and Flex programs will attend classes on the Queens University of Charlotte campus in Myers Park. Elon Law will continue to offer its full-time 2.5-year J.D. program at its downtown Greensboro campus.

Recipients of the annual awards are nominated by their colleagues and selected by the College鈥檚 dean and associate deans.

鈥淓ach of these award recipients demonstrate dedication to their students and colleagues,鈥� said Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淚 am so pleased to recognize each of these faculty and staff members for all of their work and contributions to supporting the mission of the College.鈥�

The 2026 College Excellence Award recipients:

Excellence in Teaching Award

Kristen Mazur

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

Associate Professor Kristen Mazur builds her classrooms around the idea that students learn best when they are encouraged to take intellectual risks, embrace productive struggles and grow through challenges. She was the leader in the development of Elon鈥檚 Precalculus program and co-creator of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Assistant Program, helping strengthen pathways into science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. She received the Trevor Evans Award, established by the Mathematical Association of America, for scholarship of an exceptional mathematics article that is accessible to undergraduates which was published in 鈥淢ath Horizons.鈥� Mazur also has multiple publications with undergraduate co-authors.

Excellence in Scholarship

Yanica Faustin

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Assistant Professor Yanica Faustin鈥檚 work focuses on health equity and understanding and dismantling the systemic and structural barriers that shape health and well-being for marginalized communities. Faustin was Elon鈥檚 first recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action award, a national grant supporting groundbreaking scholarship that advances health equity. This award helped position Elon on a national stage in public health research. In addition to peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations and public scholarship, she has built a research program committed to developing future scholars. Faustin has also advanced national conversations around maternal and reproductive health, racial inequities in birth outcomes, severe maternal morbidity and the health experiences of Black communities across the diaspora.

Excellence in Service-Leadership Award

Corey Roberts

Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies

Assistant Professor Corey Roberts’ service has been defined by a commitment to collaboration and community engagement. Through leadership of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) Heritage Language and Learning Working Group, Roberts helped secure multiple grants, develop educational initiatives, organize conferences and workshops and deepens the partnership between 福利亚洲国产精品 and the OBSN. These efforts brought together students, faculty, staff, tribal leaders and community members in meaningful and lasting ways. He helped to lead the creation and installation of a historic marker at The Oaks that includes Yesa:sah铆 language and a land acknowledgment, along with coordinating signage on OBSN tribal grounds. The dedication brought more than 120 members of the Elon and tribal communities together. Roberts also helped organize the Undergraduate Conference on Languages and Cultures, coordinated Polyglot Lunches, co-advises the Native American Student Association and delivered guest lectures that embody language, culture, community and belonging.

Excellence in Mentoring Award

Lauren Guilmette

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Associate Professor Lauren Guilmette has created numerous opportunities for students to connect their academic work with the wider world. From mentoring independent research projects, Honors students, Summer Undergraduate Research Experience scholars and graduate school applicants, to creating programs that connect students with faculty mentors, community partners and scholars across the country, Guilmette bands the horizons of what mentoring can be. As an advisor to the Gender & Sexuality Living Learning Community, Guilmette has cultivated spaces where students find community, leadership opportunities and a sense of belonging. Through partnerships with local organizations, grassroots initiatives, and community leaders, students have been encouraged to see themselves not simply as learners, but as engaged citizens capable of making a difference in the world. She also has a gift for connecting people, students with mentors, students with communities, students with one another and students with a deeper sense of purpose.

Staff Excellence Award

Beth DeFord

Program Assistant for Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health

Program Assistant Beth DeFord has spent more than two decades tracking down the right answer, identifying a potential problem before it arises, navigating a complicated process, helping a colleague meet a deadline and working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. Known for approaching tasks with professionalism, precision, kindness and a desire to help others succeed, faculty trust her expertise, students benefit from her support and colleagues rely on her wisdom and institutional knowledge. DeFord supports three academic departments, Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health, to provide assistance to faculty, supervise student employees, support hundreds of students and manages a building. One nominator described DeFord as a superhero who manages an enormous workload, yet somehow makes it all look effortless.

They were selected from a record pool of more than 230 applicants to the part-time, evening, in-person program hosted at 福利亚洲国产精品’s Charlotte Center.

Nearly 120 students are enrolled in the program as it enters its third year. Designed for place-bound students balancing law school with jobs and other commitments, the Flex Program offers a path to a law degree that can be completed in about three years and eight months 鈥� meaning this year’s new students could graduate as soon as March 2030 鈥� with the flexibility to adjust their pace and extend studies if needed.

Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief welcomed the class during Convocation ceremonies on Aug. 10 highlighting the academic achievement and professional experience its members bring to Elon Law.

鈥淵ou were selected based on your many prior achievements, your demonstrated passion for studying law, and your immense potential for success in law school and in serving others through the legal profession,鈥� Woodlief said. 鈥淵ou should be proud of your admission to the Flex Program and motivated to live up to the high expectations we have for you.鈥�

48 鈥� Total Enrollment of the Entering Class of Fall 2026

154 鈥� Median LSAT

66% Female | 34% Male

31% 鈥� Students of Color

29 鈥� Average Age

20+ 鈥� Members holding advanced degrees

27% 鈥� First-Generation College Students

Nearly 90% of incoming students are the first in their families to attend law school.

Broad professional and educational experience

Entering Flex Program students earned undergraduate degrees from 34 colleges and universities. The institutions most represented in the class include:

• UNC-Chapel Hill with six students;
• UNC Charlotte with four;
• Appalachian State University and the University of South Carolina with three students each, and;
• North Carolina State University and Winthrop University with two students each.

More than 20 undergraduate majors are represented, ranging from art history to zoology. Political science is the most common major, with 12 students, followed by criminal justice with five, psychology with four and business with three.

Two members of the class have served in the military, and several competed as varsity athletes.

The class also brings substantial professional experience to the classroom. Eleven students 鈥� 23% of the class 鈥� already work in the legal field, including as paralegals and legal assistants. Others have built careers in banking and finance, real estate, nursing, journalism, teaching and sports coaching.

The class also reflects the Flex Program鈥檚 strong regional ties. Eighty percent of students are from North Carolina, while five are from South Carolina. Other members of the class come from Utah, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.

鈥淲e look forward to witnessing firsthand your accomplishments to come 鈥� over the next four years and throughout your careers as Elon lawyers 鈥� as you channel this energy, focus, and commitment to excellence and service in your new chosen profession as pioneering lawyer leaders,鈥� Woodlief said.

福利亚洲国产精品 Professor of Law Steve Friedland provided legal analysis for an Aug. 12 Washington Post article examining the Justice Department鈥檚 decision to convene a special grand jury in Washington, D.C., an uncommon legal mechanism that can focus on a single case or group of related cases and issue a report following its investigation.

The article, 鈥淧irro, in rare move, convenes special grand jury in Washington,鈥� reports that the special grand jury will be overseen by Steven Vandervelden, an ally of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. It remains unclear what the grand jury will investigate.

Friedland explained that special grand juries are governed by strict procedures but also provide prosecutors with some flexibility in how they conduct investigations.

鈥淭his could be very interesting,鈥� Friedland told The Washington Post. 鈥淓ach administration has its own approach to how it enforces the law and how it uses the tools available to it.鈥�

Unlike a typical grand jury, a special grand jury focuses on a single case or related cases. It can also issue a report at the conclusion of its investigation, potentially naming individuals even when prosecutors do not have enough evidence to bring criminal charges.