The dwindling number of for-profit law schools in the United States makes headlines yet again as the Charleston School of Law announces its intention to switch to nonprofit status. This move edges the U.S. towards hosting only a single for-profit law institution, Western State College of Law. According to National Jurist, the institution has received preliminary approval from the American Bar Association to transition from a private enterprise to a nonprofit entity.
Rather than commercial gain, the current owners of the Charleston School of Law will donate the entire school to an existing nonprofit, the Charleston School of Law Foundation, Inc., not taking any funds from this transaction. This reinvestment of revenues embodies a primary distinction between nonprofit and for-profit education institutions.
The Western State College of Law, the last standing for-profit law school, had previously experienced a brief period as a nonprofit before a purchase by Westcliff University shifted its status back. The fate of this sole remainder among for-profit law schools remains a topic for speculation. Two years as a non-profit couldn’t stop Westcliff University from buying it and switching back its status.
The recent trend of such transitions leaves one to wonder about the future sustainability and existence of for-profit law schools. A past article points out that for-profit law schools are swiftly nearing extinction. As this phenomenon continues, it promises to reshape the landscape of legal education in the coming years.