Monrovia—A historic advancement in Liberia’s legal education system is set to unfold with the opening of a new law school – the Liberia School of Law (LSL) in November 2024.
By: Yawah Y. Jaivey, contributing writer
The opening of the Liberia School of Law (LSL) marks the first new law school establishment in Liberia in 70 years, following provisional accreditation by the National Commission on Higher Education.
According to a release issued in Monrovia on Monday, the Liberia School of Law (LSL) will offer a first degree in law with prospective students being required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree and pass a rigorous admission test.
“The Liberia School of Law will give primacy to recruiting and training students capable of using their legal skills and knowledge to champion policies and causes that promote democratic governance and inclusive development,” the statement said.
The latest development follows the last establishment of a law school in Liberia—the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, founded in 1954.
An LSL’s statement disclosed that many of its founders are alumni of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law who have expressed their deep appreciation for their education there while acknowledging the need for an additional institution to further enhance legal education and practice in Liberia.
“These founders’ experience in teaching and practicing law has led them to the conclusion that legal education and the practice of law generally in Liberia will benefit immensely with the presence of another law school in the country”, the statement said.
The Liberia School of Law, located on Capitol By-Pass in Monrovia, according to the release, will feature a modern library with online access to both domestic and international legal resources, including the Westlaw database and a well-appointed student lounge and free WiFi services.
The LSL administration has also promised to provide students a real-time access to judicial decisions, statutes, regulations and other laws of the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries around the world.
The LSL’s statement added that the school faculty will include prominent Liberian legal experts, such as former Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, former Dean Negbalee Warner, National Elections Commissioner Boakai Dukuly, human rights lawyer Tiawan Gongloe, insurance law professor Saye Gbalazeh, and Kwame Clement, who has practiced law in the U.S.
Additionally, LSL founders revealed that the school will host visiting professors such as Paul S. Mandell, a Yale Law School graduate and past Chair of both the Yale Law School Fund Board and the University of Maryland College Park Foundation Board of Trustees, and Richard M. Lucas, also a Yale Law School graduate and former Adjunct Professor at George Washington University Law School.
The Liberia School of Law has, however, made its commitment to recruiting and training students who will utilize their legal skills to advance democratic governance and inclusive development in Liberia.
The LSL statement said the institution has pledged to give primacy to recruiting and training students capable of using their legal skills and knowledge to champion policies and causes that promote democratic governance and inclusive development.
