Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and CEO of Kaplan, Inc., Addresses
Graduating Class
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Concord Law School of Kaplan University, a pioneer in online legal
education, celebrated the graduation of 74 students on Saturday, Aug.
2, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. This graduation,
which included 50 graduates of the Juris Doctor program and 24 from
the Executive Juris Doctor program, helped mark the school's 10th
anniversary as the nation's first wholly online law school.
"Concord has come a long way since its launch 10 years ago," said
Barry Currier, JD, Concord's President and Dean. "We have successfully
provided an accessible and affordable option for legal education, we
have more than 800 graduates across the country who are making their
mark on the legal community and in their work places, and we are
partnering with traditional law schools to provide an online platform
to deliver legal education. We expect that over the next 10 years,
Concord will continue to redefine legal education in the U.S. and
beyond."
In recognition of this milestone anniversary, Kaplan, Inc.
Chairman and CEO Jonathan Grayer presented the keynote address during
the graduation ceremony. It was under Grayer's leadership that Kaplan
entered the higher education arena with the launch of Concord Law
School in 1998. The law school faced skepticism in its early days, but
grew quickly among working adults who were seeking an accessible and
affordable legal education. Today, Concord is the second largest
part-time law school program in the United States with 1,500 students.
"The mission of Concord Law School has been to expand access to a
high quality legal education for students who cannot participate in
traditional programs," Grayer told the graduates. "In today's
competitive, knowledge-based global economy, it is important that we
find ways to meet the needs of adult learners who want to increase
their skills and grow professionally."
Grayer commended the graduates on their tenacity and drive, and
wished them well on their future professional and legal endeavors,
which he expects will be as diverse as the class itself. The August
2008 Concord graduates, 40 percent of whom already hold graduate
degrees, include a computer engineer who's start-up company was
acquired by a European semi-conductor company, a medical director for
a cancer facility, a managing partner for an international tax firm, a
pilot and aviation consultant, and a former consumer affairs executive
who is now the parent of three adoptive special needs children.
All of them plan to use their legal education in different ways,
whether to augment their current careers, enter the legal profession
or to plan for a post-retirement profession.
About Concord Law School
Concord Law School was founded in 1998 and today has 1,500
students across the country and around the world. Since Concord's
first graduating class in November 2002, more than 700 students have
completed the JD and EJD programs. The formal merger of Concord into
Kaplan University in the fall of 2007 made Concord the first online
law school to be part of a regionally accredited institution of higher
education. Kaplan University is accredited by The Higher Learning
Commission (HLC) and a member of the North Central Association of
Colleges and Schools. Concord is also accredited by the Accrediting
Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, a
nationally recognized accrediting agency. Additionally, Concord is an
institutional member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
and the International Association of Law Schools. For more
information, visit http://info.concordlawschool.edu/.
About Kaplan Higher Education
Concord Law School of Kaplan University is part of Kaplan Higher
Education, which serves 80,000 students through 70 campus-based
schools across the United States and in Europe. It also offers online
high school programs through Kaplan Virtual Education, and
undergraduate and graduate programs through Kaplan University. Kaplan
Higher Education schools offer a spectrum of academic opportunities,
from high school diplomas to graduate and professional degrees,
including a Juris Doctor degree. Kaplan Higher Education is part of
Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
For more information, visit www.kaplan.com.
Concord Law School of Kaplan University
Holly Barnhill, 818-406-0561
310-689-3216/cell
holly_barnhill@concord.kaplan.edu
or
Michele Pore, 312-502-7534
312-706-6006/cell
mpore@kaplan.edu
Copyright Business Wire 2008
