When Browne C. Lewis was named dean of North Carolina Central University School of Law in June 2020, the world was in the middle of the pandemic. It was just weeks after George Floyd’s murder rekindled the Black Lives Matter Movement and a worldwide discussion about racism and inclusion. Those issues loomed large when I sat down for an interview with` Dean Lewis this past fall to discuss her vision and her plans for the law school’s future.
AALM: The number of applicants to law schools nationwide has declined for the first time since 2018, according to data from the Law School Admission Council. Your enrollment is up 25% to 446 students. To what do you attribute that success?