On Monday, High Point University’s Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law welcomed its second class of J.D. students since opening its doors for classes in fall 2024. The seventy-five member Class of 2028 commenced its week-long orientation in the law school’s brand-new state of the art facility, a three story, 77,000 square foot neo-Georgian structure, which will begin hosting classes for first- and second-year law students on August 18.
Adding special honor to the day, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Trey Allen addressed the law school’s newest students. In his remarks, Justice Allen drew on his more than two decades of experience as a practicing lawyer, law professor, and now Supreme Court justice to provide guidance and share insights into what he wished he had known as a law student. He noted that there are many paths to success in the law and many ways to reach one’s goals as a lawyer.
Justice Allen also emphasized the importance of character. “Treat others well,” he said, explaining to students that professional identities begin their formation in law school and that the reputation and habits a student cultivates influence the type of attorney one becomes.
This year’s class, which is even larger than the inaugural class of seventy-two students, hails from locations throughout the United States, including California and New York, as well as Ghana. Over forty undergraduate institutions, including High Point University, are represented in the new class.
Chief Justice Mark Martin, Founding Dean and Professor of Law at the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law, made a special point to thank Justice Allen for his service in the United States Marine Corps, during which he was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Justice Allen, who was elected to the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2022, served as a law clerk to that Court’s current Chief Justice, the Honorable Paul Newby, following his honorable discharge from the Marines.
Commenting on the visit, Dean Martin remarked:
“Justice Allen’s career in the law has embodied High Point University’s mission of ‘God, family, and country’ to the fullest. We are delighted he was able to welcome the members of our second class of law students on the very first steps of their legal careers with such inspiring words of wisdom.”