ASL Overview
The Appalachian School of Law (ASL) provides an exhilarating, yet challenging, environment to pursue the Juris Doctorate degree. ASL is dedicated to education that produces graduates who are competent to practice law and who are committed to living up to the highest ethical ideals for which the legal profession stands.
This school is unique in its deep commitment to community service and leadership, which distinguishes it from virtually all of the other 200 law schools in the country. ASL students are required to volunteer 25 hours each semester on community service projects, ranging from dispute resolution training to humane society management, in a four-county area. Only 11 other law schools have similar mandatory programs.
In addition to providing the foundation knowledge and skills essential for taking the bar examination and beginning practice, the curriculum and co-curricular activities are designed to prepare students for leadership and service in the twenty-first century. Problem solving skills, ethical behavior, and professional responsibilities extend beyond the practice of law to all aspects of the community.
The Appalachian School of Law exists to provide opportunity for people from Appalachia and beyond to realize their dreams of practicing law and bettering their communities. We attract a qualified, diverse and dedicated student body, many of whom will remain in the region after graduation and serve as legal counselors, advocates, judges, mediators, community leaders, and public officials. We offer a nationally recruited, diverse and well-qualified faculty, a rigorous program for the professional training of lawyers and a comprehensive law library. The program emphasizes professional responsibility, dispute resolution and practice skills. The ASL community is an exciting student-centered environment that emphasizes honesty, integrity, fairness and respect for others. We also emphasize community service and staff and faculty development. At the same time, we are a full participant in our community, serving as a resource for people, the bar, and other institutions of the region. (adopted by the Board of Trustees March 14, 2000)
Throughout this site, you’ll find important news and information about the school’s activities and resources. You’ll also learn why ASL is not just a wonderful school, but also a wonderful community. Our faculty is unmatched in their intelligence, experience and commitment to legal education, and they make ASL a rich, rewarding place to learn. Our alumni are competent, well-respected members of the legal profession. Our students are eager to learn and serve the community in which they live. Their cultural, racial, ethnic, and economic diversity enriches and advances ASL’s educational mission.
