High Point University’s Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law has received provisional approval from the American Bar Association, marking a key milestone for one of the nation’s newest law schools.
Provisional approval from the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar grants a law school the same rights as a fully approved institution. Graduates are eligible to sit for the bar exam and pursue licensure.
The school earned approval after demonstrating substantial compliance with ABA standards. It will be eligible for full accreditation following additional review.
“We are grateful to the American Bar Association for recognizing the work that our faculty and staff have invested,” HPU President Nido Qubein said. “The law school is already preparing future attorneys to serve their communities and lead.”
The milestone follows the school’s launch in fall 2024 with an inaugural class of 72 students. A second cohort of 75 students began classes in August.
The university also recently opened a new three-story, 77,500-square-foot law building along its Innovation Corridor. The facility includes a 120-seat courtroom, two additional courtrooms and a 13,000-square-foot law library.
HPU expanded its experiential offerings this fall with the opening of the Bergmann & Moore Veterans Law Clinic. Second-year students work under faculty supervision to assist veterans seeking disability compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Accreditation reflects a commitment to quality legal education,” said founding Dean Mark Martin, former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. “Our graduates will now receive the same recognition as those from fully approved law schools.”
