$2.65M Charlotte School of Law Class Action Settlement Reached

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Former students and the Charlotte School of Law have reached a $2.65 million settlement which would resolve claims that the institution shirked standards for accreditation required by the American Bar Association.

Charlotte School of Law is a former for-profit law school run by InfiLaw along with Florida Coastal School of Law and Arizona Summit Law School. The Charlotte School of Law closed its doors in 2017.

Under the terms of the Charlotte School of Law class action settlement, Class Members will receive some reimbursement for the tuition they paid depending on their eligibility for loan forgiveness and if they were able to transfer or graduate.

However, the plaintiffs note that the settlement agreement will not come close to covering the $44,000 per year tuition most paid to attend the school.

“From the settling plaintiffs’ perspective, given that the principal defendant, [Charlotte Law School], has closed due to financial difficulties and that the insurance proceeds have been depleted as a result of litigation, the settling plaintiffs have concluded that a prompt ‘limited fund’ settlement pursuant to Rule 23(b)(1)(B) allows for the maximum distribution to the class,” states the Charlotte School of Law class action settlement.

The now shuttered school began accepting less than stellar applicants, even as its bar passage rates dropped, alleged plaintiffs as well as concerned instructors. Investor demand, rather than academic rigor, drove admission decisions, alleged the Charlotte School of Law class action lawsuit.

The plaintiffs in the Charlotte School of Law class action settlement say that although the award will likely not cover the 2,500 or so Class Members’ costs, it may be all they can get from the school since its assets are drying up.

The Charlotte School of Law class action settlement will allow the troubled institution to exit one legal battle; however, it also reportedly faces a $43 million lawsuit initiated by its former landlord.

Furthermore, InfiLaw along with another related company, paid out a total of $14 million in 2017. Whistleblowers, often former Charlotte School of Law instructors, have also hit the companies with litigation demanding more than $100 million in damages.

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The plaintiffs are represented by Anthony J. Majestro of Powell & Majestro PLLC, Douglas B. Abrams and Noah Abrams of Abrams & Abrams PA, Timothy C. Bailey and Taylor M. Norman of Bailey Javins & Carter LC, Philip Bohrer and Scott E. Brady of Bohrer Brady LLC, Brian Leighton Kinsley, Robert Andre Fleury Jr. and Daniel Ray Francis of Crumley Robert, Amanda A. Mingo of Rawls Scheer Clary & Mingo PLLC, and Michael John Messinger.

The Charlotte School of Law Class Action Lawsuit is Robert C. Barchiesi, et al. v. Charlotte School of Law LLC, et al., Case No. 3:16-cv-00861, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte Division.

UPDATE: November 2018, the Charlotte School of Law class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.