Nicholas W. Allard, dean of Jacksonville University’s College of Law, recently said that the high level of support and engagement of Jacksonville’s bench and bar truly set us apart.
Dean Allard who was appointed founding dean of the College of Law to be launched in August 2022 by the school, joined last July. He expressed his pride at the achievements and direction of the college and its students.
He said that “our successes in the last year and our immediate position of strength indicate several unique and competitive advantages we offer.” “We’re literally building a law faculty from scratch, without retrofitting or changing existing mindsets. The students enjoy the thrill and challenge of creating something new in the best possible way. “In addition to balancing the rigorous study load as first-year students, these students have served and contributed to the community. They have also been ambassadors for our school and have had incredible opportunities and experiences working with Jacksonville judges and bar members.”
They haven’t achieved such success alone. Dean Allard said, “Jacksonville’s lawyers, in both the public and the private sector, along with our judges, local civic organizations and companies, and our esteemed professors, have been extremely engaged and committed in ensuring our law students receive the best possible education, inside and outside of the classroom.” “Jacksonville’s legal community is a shining example.” They are very knowledgeable about the most recent legal issues and show outstanding qualities such as leadership, adaptability, and teamwork when serving clients facing uncertainty.
Dean Allard stated that the small size of the school initially allowed professors to offer a more personalized and hands-on approach to their students. “We are able not only to offer the best traditional approaches to legal training, but also to adapt and adopt new methods.”
He said that the ability of the school to balance two difficult and challenging lines of legal education is a special but strategic focus.
Dean Allard stated, “In order to earn respect, attract students, employers, and donors to our College of Law as well as impress accreditation agencies, we color within the lines and teach the fundamentals of the law, ethics, and professionalism, so that our students can pass the bar exam and be ready to practice.” “Our students are learning the fundamental and conventional skills and abilities that they need to have in order to pass the Florida Bar and become good lawyers,” Dean Allard said.
Dean Allard explained that the new approach to law school is more than just a change in name. He explained that the law school is also showing a ‘Jacksonville Pollock” inventiveness and innovative approach by listening to Jacksonville’s bar and bench to learn what new needs there are for lawyers. One of those is to help and teach our next generation to understand how to adapt and change. “We’re designing the best curriculum to prepare students for the constantly changing 21st century world of law.” Even if law schools were teaching the same thing 10 years ago, they must have changed now, because our world and client needs have dramatically evolved.
The dual approach will prepare our students to become new lawyers, not only to understand and provide legal services, but to also be lifelong learners, adapting to new needs, as we are bound to encounter new legal issues that we haven’t yet encountered.
He cited recent examples, including artificial intelligence, drones and cybersecurity.
The Supreme Court of the United States has heard four AI-related cases in the past term. Dean Allard emphasized that it is every lawyer’s obligation to be knowledgeable about new technologies. Other areas include changing norms in relation to cannabis across Canada, the latest financial tools such as cryptocurrency and blockchain, and biomedical advances and breakthroughs in medicine and healthcare. We must continue to provide quality, affordable legal services for underserved community members and access to justice.
I believe that lawyers will be more important than ever in this century because of the tension between the rules and the ever-changing way of life. Our students are being prepared to tackle the next legal issues in our world.
Dean Allard believes that the College of Law of Jacksonville University will achieve its long-term goal of having every student be admired for being one of the best lawyers in the nation.
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