Charlotte law names interim dean

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Amid much uncertainty regarding its future, the Charlotte School of Law has a new dean.

Through a press release, the school announced March 20 that Jay Conison has stepped down as dean and has been replaced by law professor D. Scott Broyles on an interim basis.

According to the release, Conison will remain with the school as a faculty member.

Broyles, a former federal prosecutor, has been with Charlotte since its founding in 2006 and is a tenured faculty member, the release stated. He teaches constitutional law and First Amendment and will teach through the end of the semester.

“He assumes his new role with the full support of the Charlotte School of Law faculty and administration,” the statement reads.

Also in the statement, Broyles said that he is honored that the faculty has placed its trust in him as the school moves forward.

“While we face serious challenges, our aim is clear: to restore faith in our institution through consistent standards in admissions and best practices in the classroom. We have an outstanding team in place to meet these challenges head on and we look forward to a bright future for the institution and the students we serve,” he stated.

Charlotte spokeswoman Victoria Taylor told Lawyers Weekly in an email that while there are no immediate plans beyond naming an interim dean, the school “remains intensely focused on the restoration of Title IV funds and continues to be in discussions with the Department of Education.”

Taylor said that the school has committed to significantly higher admissions credentials for incoming students and has submitted a reliable plan to the ABA requiring it to adhere to these increased standards. It has also agreed that the faculty have veto power over any effort to go below those increased standards.

“In the event that funds are not restored, the School has submitted a Teach-Out plan to its accreditor which will ensure that current students, who wish to do so, can finish their education at Charlotte Law,” Taylor wrote in an email.