20 Years
fo Ave Maria Law Ave Maria School of Law is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Founded by Thomas S. Monaghan in 1999, Ave Maria School of law focuses on an educational philosophy that emphasizes the moral foundations of the law, presents insights from the Catholic intellectual tradition, and encourages a broader perspective of the law and its role in society. Ave Maria Law has expanded and evolved over the last two decades, building a strong veteran population and developing veteranbased scholarships. In addition, the school has implemented a more rigorous curriculum to adapt to areas of the law that the bar exam targets. Most recently, Ave Maria Law opened the Cancro Family Wellness Center. The facility was developed as part of the school’s greater mind, body, spirit initiative. Addressing the importance of physical and mental health, the construction of the wellness center aligns with the school’s holistic approach of bringing reason, faith, and wellness into the legal education of its students. Over the next several years, Ave Maria School of Law plans to continue to provide excellence in law school education.
2000 • The Law School was licensed by the State of Michigan and classes began in the fall of 2000. The attention of many of the elite in the legal world, including Edwin Meese, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Kenneth Starr, and a host of others was focused on Ave Maria Law • Original teaching faculty included Judge Robert Bork, Richard Myers, Mollie Murphy and others
2001 • Students and faculty attend the March for Life in Washington D.C., a tradition that continues each year
2002 • Ave Maria Law was granted provisional accreditation by the American Bar Association. Ave Maria Lecturer: The Honorable Kenneth Starr
• Bernard Dobranski becomes the first President and Dean
Advocate | 2020
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