Chapman’s Law School Is Given Full Accreditation

The American Bar Assn. gave full accreditation Monday to Chapman University’s School of Law after seven years of struggle, a lost lawsuit and the resignation of its founding dean.

Although Chapman received provisional accreditation in 1998, the new designation is expected to help the law school recruit students and faculty.

Accreditation means the university in Orange is one of 182 U.S. law schools to pass the ABA’s academic standards. With national bar accreditation, graduates can take a bar exam anywhere in the country.

The law school, which held its first classes in 1995, was twice turned down for accreditation because it lacked a permanent building and over concerns about lax grading and the academic quality of the faculty. Dean Jeremy Miller resigned. Nearly 50 students took an offer of a tuition refund, costing Chapman $1.25 million.

Eleven students sued the university. Last year, an Orange County jury found that Chapman intentionally deceived them about the quality of the law school and the impact its lack of accreditation would have on them. But jurors did not award financial damages. Before the jury announced its verdict, the judge ordered Chapman to repay the students a year’s tuition.

When classes resume Monday, Chapman’s law school will have about 370 students.