Appalachian School of Law

ASL traces its roots back to 1993 when Norton, Virginia lawyer Joe Wolfe came up with the idea to create a law school in Central Appalachia. His idea was well received by local business leaders and a steering committee was founded in 1994 and grew to eighty members. The committee surveyed lawyers and found that legal education needed to emphasize professional responsibility and alternative dispute resolution as these pillars of law school were becoming more important in today's law practice. The committee gained permission from the Virginia General Assembly to start a law school in 1995 and continued to secure endorsements from local civic associations and industrial development authorities. Buchanan County, Virginia approached the committee in 1996 and offered the grounds and buildings of the former P.V. Dennis Elementary and Grundy Jr. High Schools to which the steering committee accepted. The State Council of Higher Education in Virginia granted the school the ability to enroll students studying for the Juris Doctor Degree in 1997. The charter class of 71 students first attended classes on August 12, 1997. ASL's economic success spurred the conception and implementation of the Appalachian College of Pharmacy (formerly University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy), which was founded in 2003 and opened its doors in 2005. 2002 mass shooting On January 16, 2002, ASL Dean Anthony Sutin, Professor Thomas Blackwell, and first-year student Angela Dales were shot and killed by disgruntled student Peter Odighizuwa, 43, of Nigeria. When Odighizuwa exited the building, he was subdued by two students armed with personal firearms. At his trial, Odighizuwa was found mentally competent, pleaded guilty to the murders, and was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison. == Employment ==

According to ASL's official 2025 ABA-required disclosures, 53% of the Class of 2025 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. ==Profile==

According to the schools' required 2025 disclosures, ASL's student body demographic was as follows: 65% White, 11% African American, 10% Hispanic, 8% Asian American, 3% Native American, and 3% unknown or not reporting. For the fall 2024 entering class, 732 applied for admission, of which 446 (61%) were granted admission and 88 (20% of those accepted) matriculated into the first year class. The 25-75 percentile range for LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA were 145-151 and 2.72-3.53. Three years later, the Council of the Section on Legal Accreditation lifted the sanctions, stating that the school had demonstrated compliance with accreditation standards. ==Campus==

The ASL campus consists of three buildings, the main academic building, the Booth Center and the law library. The law school also uses the Booth Hall reception room as a classroom, as the Southwest Virginia Community College occupies all the classrooms. The main academic building was created from the town's former high school (and junior high school) and gymnasium complex; these buildings were joined and extensively remodeled and expanded as part of a $1 million award-winning architectural project. The main building contains an appellate courtroom (which doubles as the auditorium for large events), a trial courtroom, five seminar rooms, student mailroom, the Lion's Lounge, and faculty and staff offices. Most rooms are wired for internet access. A third campus building, Booth Hall, was opened in 2008. Booth Hall is situated behind and to the rear of the main academic building and law library. The building has of space on three floors. Thirty three parking spaces are situated on the first floor. Additional classrooms, including one that seats 150 students, computer lab, student lounges, and a conference room are included in the building. The building houses the school's Business Office and President's Office. The building also houses facilities for Southwest Virginia Community College, which shares classroom space with ASL. ==Academic program==

Students at Appalachian complete the traditional law school curriculum as required by the American Bar Association (ABA); however, the school distinguishes itself from almost all of the other 192 ABA accredited law schools in the country, as its students are required to spend 25 hours each semester on community service projects, ranging from dispute resolution training to humane society management. Only 11 other law schools have similar mandatory programs. Alternative dispute resolution ASL is distinguished by its requirement that all second-year students complete a mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) class. The school has also held ADR training in local schools; this program drew national attention, particularly from former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, who has publicly congratulated the school on this effort.{{cite web Students also have the option of taking additional courses in their second and third years to earn certification for mediation under the "Lawyer as a Problem Solver" Certificate Program. Students must complete basic law school procedure courses, two ADR focused courses, and an additional problem solving skills course.{{cite web ==Student life==

ASL has an active student body involved in activities not only on campus but within the local community and the legal profession as well. Officially recognized student organizations on campus:{{cite web ASL's student body governs itself through the Student Bar Association. The SBA is divided into three branches, the Senate, Executive, and the Honor Court. The Senate consists of three elected senators for the first year, second year, and third year classes. The Executive Branch consists of the Student Body President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, plus any committees that the President appoints to assist in his or her endeavors. The Honor Court consists of six elected judges, two for the first year class and two per upper class.{{cite web ASL also fields moot court teams that compete in national competitions. Students can audition for the team through an annual intra-school tournament that is composed of the Appellate Advocacy class in fall of the second year.{{cite web ==References==