Elon to open a full-time law school at Queens in Charlotte
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Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book at the South End Elon campus. Elon Law also has a full time law school in Greensboro. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Queens University of Charlotte will be home to Elon University's new full-time law school, Elon officials announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: This is a first significant step in the Queens-Elon merger, with Queens providing the property and Elon providing the instruction for Charlotte's first full-time law school since 2017.
Catch up quick: Queens and Elon announced plans to merge in September 2025. The two universities signed a definitive agreement in December, Elon President Connie Book told reporters.
Driving the news: Elon has applied to the American Bar Association (ABA) for approval to launch a full-time law program. A cohort of 75 students will launch the program in fall 2027.
Between the lines: Elon planned to have a law school in Charlotte with or without the merger. Queens' prime location in Myers Park will save Elon both time and money — about $31 million, according to Elon officials. It will also allow the program to open a year or two earlier than it would have if Elon had to find a different space.
What we're watching: Book expects Elon to make "some investments in the facility in order to support the law program," she said Tuesday. What the scope of those changes could look like and how much it will cost are TBD.
Zoom in: Elon's full-time law students in Charlotte will complete their education in two and a half years — quicker than the three-year process that's common at other law schools.
- A faster program allows students to save about 25%, Book says.
Flashback: Charlotte School of Law, a for-profit school, closed in 2017 after its operating license expired and the American Bar Association put it on probation. The following year, Elon started planning an expansion in Charlotte.
- Elon opened a four-year, part-time law school in South End in 2024. The inaugural cohort had 36 students, and the second cohort had 47 students. The goal is to cap the part-time program around 50 students, Zak Kramer, dean of Elon University School of Law, told reporters.
Zoom out: Elon Law also has a Greensboro location. This year, it enrolled 182 first-year students, its largest class ever.
What's next: Elon plans to continue to use the South End building. Starting in 2027, both of its Charlotte law programs will operate on the Queens campus. If the merger is not complete by then, Elon will lease the space from Queens.
- Elon will begin accepting applications for its full-time Charlotte-based law school in August 2026. Students will not be offered admission until after the program has been approved by the ABA.