A closed door meeting at the Charleston School of Law (CSOL) has done little to assuage angry students and faculty – most of whom believe their institution has been sold down the river to a company specializing in the management of low-quality “diploma mills.”
The lengthy meeting – held Tuesday evening – featured the CEO of InfiLaw, the company which is entering into an undisclosed “management agreement” with CSOL’s remaining founders.
“We picked this school because we thought this school was special,” InfiLaw’s Rick Inatome told the crowd. “This school in terms of its faculty and students and community is unmatched and unparalleled in entire legal academy. That’s the jewel of this institution – and we will do everything to preserve and enhance that jewel.”
Given InfiLaw’s poor track record with its existing network of law schools, CSOL faculty and students were skeptical. In fact Inatome was booed when he rose to speak. He was also booed when he dismissed criticism of his company as “untrue.”
“We knew there would be reactions like that,” he said.
One of CSOL’s founders – Robert Carr – spoke just prior to Inatome, apologizing to faculty and students for not informing them of the school’s plans sooner.
“We should have known better – in this day of social media,” he said. “We should have gotten you information earlier.”
News of the CSOL-InfiLaw arrangement – which broke exclusively on FITS – has infuriated staffers, faculty and students. The deal also caused Judge Alex Sanders – a CSOL founder and the school’s longtime public face – to resign in protest along with fellow founder Ralph McCullough. Now, former magistrate George Kosko is effectively running the school.
“We are not changing anything,” Kosko vowed when it was his turn to address the restless natives.
Really? Then why do the deal?
InfiLaw has been widely criticized within the legal community for the inferior quality of its law degrees – as well as the steps it has taken to restrict student transfers. In fact a pair of professors at the Phoenix School of Law – one of the company’s four institutions – is suing the company after they were allegedly terminated for protesting these restrictions.
CSOL has already gone to great lengths to block student transfers – most notably by announcing its InfiLaw deal after a critical July 15 transfer deadline. The school is also requiring students who wish to transfer to sit with the dean of the institution and explain their reasons.
Additionally, sources tell FITS several CSOL students were threatened prior to the meeting with “negative professional repercussions” in the event they attended the meeting and spoke out against the InfiLaw deal.
We’ve had plenty of not-so-nice things to say about CSOL in the past. In fact, this website broke the infamous bar exam scam story six years ago – in which the S.C. Supreme Court tossed an entire section of the bar exam in an effort to artificially inflate passage rates at the school.
Having said that, the school has done much better on recent bar exams – and with a few notable exceptions appeared to be progressing toward some semblance of respectability.
Will that progress continue under InfiLaw? We doubt it …
46 comments
I say let GT run the show. He knows everything about the law. He can restore respectability to the CSOL.
“He can restore respectability to the CSOL.”
LMAO!
GT may already be one of the instructors there.
Maybe GT handled the negotiations for the sale. Happened about the time he disappeared from the Fitsnews screen.
GT is actually owns InfiniLaw. He also lives in Charlotte and personally oversees the InfiniLaw school there, which certainly explains a lot.
I say let GT run the show. He knows everything about the law. He can restore respectability to the CSOL.
“He can restore respectability to the CSOL.”
LMAO!
GT may already be one of the instructors there.
Maybe GT handled the negotiations for the sale. Happened about the time he disappeared from the Fitsnews screen.
GT is actually owns InfiniLaw. He also lives in Charlotte and personally oversees the InfiniLaw school there, which certainly explains a lot.
Tough Shit. Move to Chicago.
Tough Shit. Move to Chicago.
I’ve heard that rhetoric “Jewel” and
“We will not change anything.” before, especially when a big fish
swallows a little fish. The “big fish” doesn’t even concern himself
about changing the speech. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. Students &
faculty, be afraid, be very afraid!!!
“We will not change anything” is usually a precursor to extremely bad news when it comes to deals like this. I’m sure many have heard that line right before a massive layoff, pay/benefit cut, or other hit. Why would it be any different for the perceived value of one’s education?
I’ve heard that rhetoric “Jewel” and
“We will not change anything.” before, especially when a big fish
swallows a little fish. The “big fish” doesn’t even concern himself
about changing the speech. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. Students &
faculty, be afraid, be very afraid!!!
“We will not change anything” is usually a precursor to extremely bad news when it comes to deals like this. I’m sure many have heard that line right before a massive layoff, pay/benefit cut, or other hit. Why would it be any different for the perceived value of one’s education?
“Negative professional repercussions” sounds like what you’ll get if you stay silent and keep going to CSOL assuming that nothing really is going to change. You have nothing to lose by resisting.
“Negative professional repercussions” sounds like what you’ll get if you stay silent and keep going to CSOL assuming that nothing really is going to change. You have nothing to lose by resisting.
Those poor CSOL kids. All they wanted was to hang out at the beach, get a law degree, and then get a job.
Their job prospects were always dismal, as most firms are not hiring anyone and certainly not CSOL grads. Now with the InfiLaw seal of crap on their diploma they will never get hired by a firm.
I expect to see a lot of “Daniel from the CSOL announces the opening of his own practice” in the bar news.
A bunch of baby lawyers with no mentors will be unleashed on SC soon. Sad times.
Misstate: No to your statement. They will be hired to man call centers trying to sell Obamacare and Nudge programs.
BBBBWwwwaahahahaahahahahhahaahah
only if they have Indian/Pakistani accents
Or paid $17.00 an hour at the Nelson Mullins legal puppy mill at Richland Mall in Columbia. Does anyone know what NMRS bills the clients for these pitiful “JD holders” they call lawyers working in the cubicals over there? Street talk is NMRS is profiting about a million a month on this liittle secret sweatshop. The reason they are called “JD Holders” is that the lawyers don’t even have to pass the bar to work there.
$17.00 an hour? At Nelson Mullins? I thought that firm paid its new associates pretty big bucks.
Then again, times HAVE changed.
That is one of those document review jobs on Craigslist and if dumbass law school graduates wouldn’t take such shit pay, the firm would pay more for the work. The sad thing is, those graduates probably think this might get them in the door with NM.
no they can get jobs at the nelson mullins “document review” factory
Misstate: Two men were discussing their lawyers. One says his lawyer is so brilliant he didn’t bother graduating from law school. He settled out of class. The other says his lawyer passed the bar, and hasn’t passed one since.
Can’t be any worse than a lot of those from USC. I’m just a cop, and I’m more than a little under-whelmed at their performance in court. I don’t think the CSOL kids will be any worse.
And you should also expect to see a lot of “In Re: ____ (insert CSOL graduate turned solo practitioner here) in the Advance Sheets shortly thereafter) along with a lot of “I will turn your wreck into a check” ads in the near future.
Those poor CSOL kids. All they wanted was to hang out at the beach, get a law degree, and then get a job.
Their job prospects were always dismal, as most firms are not hiring anyone and certainly not CSOL grads. Now with the InfiLaw seal of crap on their diploma they will never get hired by a firm.
I expect to see a lot of “Daniel from the CSOL announces the opening of his own practice” in the bar news.
A bunch of baby lawyers with no mentors will be unleashed on SC soon. Sad times.
Misstate: No to your statement. They will be hired to man call centers trying to sell Obamacare and Nudge programs.
BBBBWwwwaahahahaahahahahhahaahah
only if they have Indian/Pakistani accents
Or paid $17.00 an hour at the Nelson Mullins legal puppy mill at Richland Mall in Columbia. Does anyone know what NMRS bills the clients for these pitiful “JD holders” they call lawyers working in the cubicals over there? Street talk is NMRS is profiting about a million a month on this liittle secret sweatshop. The reason they are called “JD Holders” is that the lawyers don’t even have to pass the bar to work there.
$17.00 an hour? At Nelson Mullins? I thought that firm paid its new associates pretty big bucks.
Then again, times HAVE changed.
That is one of those document review jobs on Craigslist and if dumbass law school graduates wouldn’t take such shit pay, the firm would pay more for the work. The sad thing is, those graduates probably think this might get them in the door with NM.
no they can get jobs at the nelson mullins “document review” factory
Misstate: Two men were discussing their lawyers. One says his lawyer is so brilliant he didn’t bother graduating from law school. He settled out of class. The other says his lawyer passed the bar, and hasn’t passed one since.
Can’t be any worse than a lot of those from USC. I’m just a cop, and I’m more than a little under-whelmed at their performance in court. I don’t think the CSOL kids will be any worse.
And you should also expect to see a lot of “In Re: ____ (insert CSOL graduate turned solo practitioner here) in the Advance Sheets shortly thereafter) along with a lot of “I will turn your wreck into a check” ads in the near future.
Proof that lawyers do eat their young!
Proof that lawyers do eat their young!
“Unmatched and unparalleled in legal academy.” First of all, I think he meant “academia.” Secondly, you have got to be kidding me. While there are some quality professors at CSOL, I doubt it is “unmatched” when you compare to the Harvard Law faculty, as just one example. CSOL is a shame. It churns out lawyers who sacrifice their financial futures to pay high tuition only to graduate and – if they pass the bar – struggle to find jobs in an over-saturated legal market. Many of these graduates are hanging out their own shingle and then not doing well in practice without mentorship and training.
I used to interview potential lawyers for a “white shoe” firm. Those that came from third-rate law schools weren’t even considered. CSOL becoming part of the Phoenix network immeasurably reduces the value of those degrees.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t CSOL graduates who are competent. however, I do know a few of those; however, I venture to say that those were probably accepted by other schools and chose to attend CSOL.
“Unmatched and unparalleled in legal academy.” First of all, I think he meant “academia.” Secondly, you have got to be kidding me. While there are some quality professors at CSOL, I doubt it is “unmatched” when you compare to the Harvard Law faculty, as just one example. CSOL is a shame. It churns out lawyers who sacrifice their financial futures to pay high tuition only to graduate and – if they pass the bar – struggle to find jobs in an over-saturated legal market. Many of these graduates are hanging out their own shingle and then not doing well in practice without mentorship and training.
I used to interview potential lawyers for a “white shoe” firm. Those that came from third-rate law schools weren’t even considered. CSOL becoming part of the Phoenix network immeasurably reduces the value of those degrees.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t CSOL graduates who are competent. however, I do know a few of those; however, I venture to say that those were probably accepted by other schools and chose to attend CSOL.
So how much did Sir Alex Sanders get for selling his stake in this for-profit enterprise? Thousands of $$$? Hundreds of thousands?
So how much did Sir Alex Sanders get for selling his stake in this for-profit enterprise? Thousands of $$$? Hundreds of thousands?