Liberty Law celebrates start of new school year with record number of students

Liberty University School of Law has kicked off a new school year by welcoming its 1L (first year) class to three special events: the annual Professionalism Ceremony, law school Convocation, and Bench & Bar Reception. With the new class, the law school is celebrating its largest enrollment in history at nearly 350 law students.

The Professionalism Ceremony was held on Aug. 10, a tradition for many that marks the official beginning of a student’s law school journey. The new students heard from Liberty Law Dean Dr. Timothy Todd, recited the professionalism pledge, and signed their names on their class board, which will later be framed and displayed in the law school. A Dean’s Reception was held after the event.

The 1Ls also participated in a special law school Convocation on Aug. 14 in the Supreme Courtroom, gathering for a time of worship, prayer, and a message on the importance of wisdom from Liberty President Dondi E. Costin. (Liberty Law holds its own regular Convocations on Wednesdays throughout the school year with messages from guest speakers and law school administrators).

The Convocation began with a time of worship led by Drs. Gabriel and Samantha Miller, who performed renditions of “This Is Amazing Grace,” “Holy Forever,” and “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!”

Before introducing Costin to the podium, Todd reminded the new class that the school’s mission is to infuse a biblical worldview, foster a commitment to experiential and skills-based learning, and develop the students’ professional identities as lawyers committed to using their vocation as a ministry. He reminded students that Liberty Law’s two goals are to grow them closer to the Lord and to train them to be excellent lawyers.

“If we teach you the law, if we teach you everything in those books, if we teach you all the skills, but if we don’t teach you Christ, then we have failed,” he said. “As we start this school year, I want you to really think about this: you can be the greatest lawyer in all the land, but without Jesus Christ, you’ve missed the point. You’ve missed the point of the law. You’ve missed the part of everything. … The study of law is really the study of God. All law flows from Him. All law reflects Him. All justice reflects Him.”

In his keynote, Costin walked students through the wisdom of King Solomon, extracting verses from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes that highlight how the richest and most powerful man in Israel learned the secret to a successful life.

Costin said many of the students listening may make the mistake of intellectualism, hedonism, or populism, which he said were ultimately flawed attempts at finding and maintaining purpose.

“Some of you, because of the kind of law you are going to go into, are going to be magnificently wealthy. Some of you will be able to afford anything you would ever want to afford, much like Solomon did,” Costin said. “Solomon would say to you that the search for pleasure is meaningless. He says this throughout the book of Ecclesiastes.”

“This is what Solomon says to us: learning God’s wisdom is the secret to success in life, because this life does not end when your earthly life comes to a close,” he added. “The most significant thing that you can do in your life is realize your life began at conception and does not end on the day you take your last breath. … How you live your life from the time you take your first breath until you take your last breath has so much to do with how you’re going to spend the next years of infinity.”

The welcome events continued this week. On Wednesday, the school held its Bench & Bar Reception in Williams Stadium’s Carter Tower, bringing together Liberty Law faculty and staff, judges, and attorneys from the Lynchburg and surrounding legal community, including Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison and Amherst County Commonwealth’s Attorney Lyle Carver, a Liberty Law alumna. The event was open to the entire law school student body and provided valuable networking and mentorship opportunities with members of the legal profession as students begin their new chapter at Liberty Law.

For over 20 years, Liberty University School of Law has Trained Champions for Christ to enter their careers as practice-ready attorneys and legal professionals. With an innovative Lawyering Skills Program, Liberty Law is modeling for the academic world how to equip students to pursue excellence in their field while maintaining a commitment to biblical values. Liberty Law offers a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) with 12 areas of study; Juris Master (J.M.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs are offered online.