2 law schools get nod from ABA Legal Ed council
Two law schools—one being the Northern Illinois University College of Law, based in DeKalb, Illinois—each received the blessing of the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar last month. (Photo courtesy of the Northern Illinois University College of Law)
Two law schools each received the blessing of the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar last month.
The High Point University Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law—the new North Carolina school—welcomed its first JD class in August 2024, was granted provisional approval by the council Feb. 27. Meanwhile, the Northern Illinois University College of Law—based in DeKalb, Illinois—received approval also in February to open a part-time JD program and open an additional program in Naperville, Illinois—a western suburb of Chicago.
High Point University applied for ABA accreditation for a new law school in September 2024, according to the council’s website, and a year later, it opened a three-story, 77,500-square-foot building to house the law school, according to a Sept. 11, 2025, press release from the school. A $30 million donation funded the new school, which had an inaugural class of more than 70 students in fall 2024 and a second cohort of 75 students in August, according to the press release.
Full accreditation can be granted after the school demonstrates substantial compliance with ABA standards and presents a plan of becoming fully compliant with all standards within three years of provisional approval, according to the section’s webpage. Full approval is mandatory within five years after receiving provisional approval, according to the ABA.
Meanwhile, the Northern Illinois University College of Law’s application for substantive change was approved by the council last month.
Through its new part-time Naperville program, students can earn a JD in four years, with two evenings per week during the fall, spring, and summer terms and some weekend sessions, with a combination of in-person instruction and online coursework, according to a March 17 press release, and it will have the same core curriculum as the school’s full-time program.
Applications will open Sept. 1, with the first class starting in fall 2027, according to a statement from the university.
Law.com has coverage here and here.
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