South Carolina state lawmakers are proposing that the Charleston School of Law merge with the College of Charleston. Republican representative Stephen Goldfinch of Murrells Inlet is a major proponent of the merger. He commented, “I believe the legislature would support such a merger. It could be done tomorrow.”
In the past there have been informal discussion about the possibilities of a merger, but nothing solid had been finalized. The chairman of the College of Charleston’s Board of Trustees Greg Padgett, commented, “we would welcome every opportunity to discuss how the College of Charleston can better serve the people of Charleston and the state.” He goes on to say that there is a definite interest in discussing and overseeing the facts and small details involved in such an alliance.
The College of Charleston is a public institution located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Its founders include three signers of the Declaration of Independence and the school is one of the oldest municipal colleges in the country. The college is a part of a national network of 33 sea grant universities involved in scientific research training and projects geared toward conservations of marine areas. The college is also a part of the space grant research consortia.
The Charleston School of Law is a private law school located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school is relatively new, having been established in 2003. It has since been fully accredited by the American Bar Association in 2011. The law school sets some of its principal goals towards providing public service, helping to alleviate human suffering, and through litigation bringing peace and prosperity in the world.
Any change in ownership or control of the College of Charleston would first have to be approved by the ABA and the state commission on higher education, according to thestate.com. Though the proposal is only in its infancy stage, the lofty goals of the Charleston School of Law would be a lovely addition to the college of Charleston.