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Queens University of Charlotte is located in the Myers Park neighborhood, just a few minutes south of Uptown Charlotte.

 

 

Jade Suszek/Niner Times

Elon and Queens University announced a full-time law program among the first additions to their institutions’ collaboration on Jan. 13.​

This new addition means the city of Charlotte will gain its first full-time law school since the closure of the Charlotte School of Law in 2017. 

On Sept. 16, 2025, both universities announced their intention to merge after enrollment decreased by 12-13%, leading Queens University to suffer budget cuts for failing to meet enrollment goals, according to The Charlotte Observer.​

As of Jan. 13, Elon announced that it has applied to the American Bar Association (ABA) to launch the Juris Doctor program at Queens University, which will be ready for the fall 2027 semester.​

“The benefit of being a two-and-a-half-year program is that it’s more cost-effective, and it’s faster because students don’t have to pay for that second half of a third year, so they graduate with less debt and get out into the marketplace faster,” Zak Kramer, dean of Elon University School of Law, told Spectrum News.​

As of now, Queens University is offering a part-time law program, the Elon Law Flex Program, and, if approved, it will proceed at Queens University.

The closing of Charlotte School of Law

The Charlotte School of Law closed in 2017 after losing its accreditation from the American Bar Association.​

The law school failed to qualify for federal financial aid, which put the school on probation and led to its operational license expiring, according to the Campbell Law Observer.

Charlotte School of Law was investigated by Josh Stein, the North Carolina general attorney at the time, due to allegations that it was not providing adequate information for students to enroll in the program.​

In 2015, the Charlotte School of Law was under federal investigation for a crime.​

“The suit alleges that the school manipulated bar passage and employment statistics by offering students who seemed unlikely to pass, $5,000 not to take the bar exam,” according to a complaint filed in Campbell Law Observer.

As the school closed down, students were left with heavy debt and no degree.​

To accommodate these students, those who had withdrawn from the school within the last 120 days of the school’s shutdown had their federal loans discharged.​

A potential law school option for UNC Charlotte students

For students at Charlotte aspiring to pursue legal education, the implementation of this program provides more options along their pathway.​

Applicants interested in receiving an education from the law programs offered by Elon and Queens University can weigh their options and decide whether part-time or full-time best suits them. ​

Those interested in a part-time schedule can apply to the Elon Flex Program and complete their degree in 4 years.​

Those seeking full-time student status can complete their Juris Doctor degree in two and a half years at either the Charlotte or Greensboro campus. 

​”Charlotte needs a law school. It’s the largest city in the country without a full-time program,” Kramer tells Spectrum News.