Concord Student Life

Concord's First Student Bar Association President, Duane Hurt, describes the spirit of the Concord community

In April 2000 I entered Concord Law School. It was the first step in realizing a dream I had had for over 20 years. As a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, I had numerous opportunities to be involved with our legal system as an expert witness. The more exposed I was to our system of justice, the more I wanted to learn about it. The problem, as with most Concord students, was that I neither lived close enough to a law school to attend, nor could I abandon my profession and means of livelihood to pursue a law degree. Then, I discovered Concord.

My first impression of Concord was, what an amazing and talented group of students comprised our student body. Included were successful psychologists, nurses, engineers, airline pilots, dentists, physicians, and business leaders and owners. We were parents and grandparents who had maturity and life experiences far beyond the average bricks-and-mortar law school student. Such a student body made for invigorating and challenging interrelationships. It also made for vibrant and lively chat groups and discussion boards.

Thanks to those various student chat groups and boards, a Concord student could quickly get to know other students, their politics, and personal stories and form sincere friendships. After almost two years of online discussions and planning we were able to form the Student Bar Association (SBA) as an official student group at Concord, with Dean Martha Siegel as our Advisor. The SBA’s mission became that of helping first-year students adjust to the unique educational experience that is Concord Law School, and preparing for the First-Year Law Students Examination, as well as representing the concerns and interests of the student to the administration.

I can honestly say that I have developed some of the warmest and most rewarding friendships of my life while attending Concord. Unlike most conventional law schools, there is no real sense of competition among Concord students. As a group, we seek to help each other throughout the four-year experience. This collective state of mind is conducive to long-lasting friendships and mutual respect. A group of us gets together twice a year in Los Angeles in conjunction with Concord-related activities, such as the annual career forum and graduation. I expect these friendships to last a lifetime.

Given the quality of legal education and the quality of my fellow students and graduates, I can honestly say that Concord Law School is one of the very best experiences of my life.
-Duane F. Hurt, D.D.S., J.D.Concord 2005

Concord’s virtual halls are a great place for networking. Students with common interests join formal and informal groups. For example, there are student chapters of both the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society on Concord's virtual campus.

Students contribute their talents and expertise to the law school community and are also generous with their time. Upper-class students routinely set up mentoring and welcoming groups for incoming first years. When students are faced with emergencies or are affected by natural diasters, such as when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Concord students have a network to gather aid and support their colleagues.

The strong bonds formed during law school are maintained after graduation. Alumni are always present at graduation ceremonies—both to celebrate with the new graduates and to catch up with each other.