In her new role, Hernandez will manage a portfolio of university alumni, parents, and friends to build engagement and scholarship resources that benefit student learning and faculty achievement.

“President Book’s bold investment in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences through this new development position is a game changer,” said Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. “I am eager to work with Mary Beth, who brings extensive experience in educational advancement — from fundraising and alumni relations to marketing communications.

“Her hire will be a catalyst as we partner with alumni, corporations and foundations to provide more support for students and faculty.”

Hernandez joins the Elon staff from Davidson College. In her previous role, Hernandez raised more than $10 million for a variety of initiatives, including an endowed professorship and several scholarships. She managed a portfolio of over 500 prospects, developed and implemented personal cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies, and planned donor meetings with college leadership.

Hernandez also served as a holistic advisor for first-year students and was the president of Davidson’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Hernandez said she is eager to bring the skills she has developed over the last 30 years to help the College’s mission of serving students and support its tradition of excellence in liberal arts education.

“This new role offers a chance to build something from the ground up, and that’s really exciting for me,” Hernandez said. “I love having the opportunity to be innovative and thoughtful. It’s a unique moment for a fundraiser.”

Prior to her tenure with Davidson College, Hernandez served for 20 years as the associate dean for advancement at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, where she raised over $40 million.

She also worked as the chief executive officer of Camp Corral, a national nonprofit that serves the children of wounded and fallen military members. In this role, she oversaw the nonprofit’s operation and executed a fundraising campaign.

Hernandez received her bachelor’s degree in English from Davidson College and a master’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a grin on his face and $20 in hand, Sherron approached Elon Law’s development officer soon after his morning arrival at the university’s downtown Greensboro campus. His motivation was simple: “I’m in love with Elon!”

There were the students whom Elon Law’s maintenance mechanic greeted every day. There were the friendly colleagues and the shared camaraderie of educating and supporting future attorneys.

There also were the benefits he praises from the university and events such as faculty/staff tailgates and Staff Appreciation Day. Sherron is quick to describe the way he feels employees at Elon are respected, having worked for a large state university and a very small private college.

“I want to give back because of what Elon has done for me,” said Sherron, who is retiring this spring from monitoring building electrical and HVAC systems, overseeing exterior maintenance, and directing furniture movement for events and special programs. “I’ve been fortunate. This position has been so good for me.”

Sherron said he hopes that Elon Day 2025 is another banner day for the university, and particularly Elon Law, where significant growth in bar exam success and career placements over the past year have directly led to fundraising achievements.

More than $25,000 was raised for Elon Law in 2024. Records were set in both total dollars and number of gifts at 134. Including Sherron, nearly three dozen faculty and staff in Greensboro made gifts in support of the law school.

“Elon Law is a special place because of people like Charlie Sherron,” said Assistant Dean Scott Leighty ’09, who leads development efforts for Elon Law. “He eagerly greets me on Elon Day every year and is always ready to do his part to support our success.”

The gift to Elon Law on Elon Day complements Sherron’s long-standing commitment to college access and success.

He also makes monthly gifts via payroll deduction to the Elon Academy, the university’s intensive, summer residential program for Alamance County high school students selected for academic strengthening, leadership development, college-going knowledge and culture, service, and family involvement.

“People like Charlie,” said Leighty, “are why the 51������ and School of Law communities continue to thrive.”

Scott Leighty ‘09 was promoted to Elon Law after serving the university as the senior engagement officer and, most recently, assistant director of annual giving on main campus. He begins his new role on November 28.

Leighty will focus on building connections and engaging Elon Law graduates in a variety of ways while cultivating philanthropic support for the law school from alumni and other sources.

“I am thrilled to join the team at the 51������ School of Law,” he said. “Elon Law has been a powerful force for creating positive change in the world and I look forward to engaging our alumni and leveraging the power of philanthropy to create more opportunities for our students.”

Leighty returned to his alma mater in 2017 as the senior alumni engagement officer in the Office of Alumni Engagement where he managed a team of alumni engagement officers and developed portfolios.

He later served as assistant director of annual giving where he focused on a portfolio of donors through the Elon LEADS Campaign. He also has managed faculty and staff giving and class reunions as part of the Office of Annual Giving.

Prior to joining the staff of 51������, Leighty worked as a campaign manager for the , and as a director for . He is a board member with the , and he previously served as president of 51������’s Young Alumni Council.

Leighty studied political science at Elon and later earned a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University. He lives in Greensboro with his wife, an administrator in Guilford County Schools, and their two young children.

An Elon Law graduate took a leadership role last year in helping to support fellow law school alumni who are studying for the bar exam.

Efforts by Hannah Joly L’19, an attorney with Furman Kornfeld & Brennan LLP in New York City, gave rise to the School of Law Bar Examination Support Fund.

It’s a resource that Joly said she wishes existed when she was working during her own bar studies. Joly studied throughout the day, then nannied overnight, to cover her living expenses.

“Finances shouldn’t be a reason that someone isn’t able to study for and then pass the bar exam,” she said. “That was my motivation for helping to create this fund – to ease the burden for Elon Law graduates in a financial emergency at an important moment on their path to practicing law.”

Graduates who demonstrate financial need qualify for assistance through the Office of Academic Success, which is managed by Associate Dean Wendy Scott.

“When I joined Elon Law, I learned how several law schools provide financial support to their graduates studying for the bar, so one of my goals was to do the same,” Scott said. “I was so delighted when Hannah reached out to us with her idea. Easing financial woes will also contribute to the upward trajectory in our bar pass rate.”

Joly said she hopes those who mentor Elon Law graduates studying for the bar exam, and others who recognize the importance of meeting financial shortfalls, will

***

As a tribute to the late Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law George R. Johnson, Jr., Elon Law Advisory Board members Mark Jetton ’06 L’09 and Ronny Lancaster, along with Elon Law alumni Eric Meredith L’09 and Raleigh Lancaster ’08 L’13, have created the Dean Emeritus George R. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Law Scholarship.

Johnson, who passed away in November 2020, was a founding member of 51������ School of Law. He earned an exceptional reputation as a teacher, mentor, scholar, and leader in the legal community.

“As a member of the profession and parent of an Elon [University] and Elon Law graduate, making a gift to a scholarship in Dean Johnson’s memory is a most fitting way to honor his legacy,” Ronny Lancaster said. “The scholarship will reward Elon Law students who exhibit intellect, integrity, leadership and compassion — the very ideals he exemplified.”

The scholarship is intended to honor Johnson’s many contributions to the school and to the legal profession. As a member of the founding faculty, Johnson began teaching at Elon Law in 2006. He went on to serve as Elon Law’s first associate dean of academic affairs before being named dean in 2009. In 2014, Johnson returned to the faculty and continued to teach and inspire the next generation of lawyers.

“More than a professor, and more than the dean he would be by the time I graduated, he was a mentor and a friend to so many of us,” Jetton said. “Now that we’re into our second decade of practicing law having successfully established our firm, I felt the time was right to give back to create opportunities for future Elon Law students, while honoring Dean Johnson who dedicated his career to building a better profession.”

The scholarship will be awarded to students who have a commitment to promoting the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Elon Law and/or within the legal profession.

“It’s impossible to think back on my time in law school and not think of Dean Johnson,” Meredith said. “Making a gift to help establish a scholarship in his name will help so many future Elon Law students learn the values and knowledge he instilled in us all, while preserving his legacy as the type of lawyer we all should aspire to be.”

made its gift this spring to the Elon Law Annual Scholarship Fund, which has played a role in reducing student debt at graduation by nearly 30% over the past few years.

The GBA Foundation’s gift to the scholarship fund comes at a time when many considering law school are facing economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

“We’re thankful for the GBA’s continued support of Elon Law and, most importantly, our students, who will directly benefit from Elon Law’s Annual Scholarship Fund,” said Barbara Cini L’11, Elon Law’s assistant dean for development. “From Elon Law’s very beginnings, the GBA and its members have invested in Elon Law by mentoring our students, welcoming our alumni as members, and providing philanthropic support.”

The GBA Foundation has been a longtime supporter of 51������ School of Law including past gifts in support of the school’s expansive print and digital collections and the law school’s initial construction.

51������ Elon Law

51������ School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. It integrates traditional classroom instruction with highly experiential full-time residencies-in-practice in a logically sequenced program of transformational professional preparation. Elon Law’s groundbreaking approach is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides distinctive value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their professional careers.

Elon Law graduates from the Class of 2020, with the generosity of faculty, staff, alumni, students, and families, raised more than $7,300 this fall in support of the law school’s student emergency fund and to memorialize a beloved faculty member who died in November following a lengthy illness.

The gift was presented Friday evening to law school leaders as part of a traditional awards program on the eve of Commencement.

Funds raised through the work of the Class of 2020 Gift Committee will enhance the Elon Law Student Emergency Fund, which was established two years ago by the Class of 2018 and supported by the Class of 2019 as a resource for Elon Law students facing a one-time, extraordinary financial crisis.

A portion of the class gift will also fund the creation of a visible memorial to honor Dean Emeritus and Professor George R. Johnson, Jr., a founding faculty member at Elon Law and mentor to hundreds of students. Details have not been finalized.

Efforts by the Class of 2020 Gift Committee were enhanced by an anonymous donor who pledged a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $3,000. The Class of 2020 Gift Committee was led by Ryan Allshouse, Hayleigh Carroll, Anissa Cottrell, Sarah Ensley and Robin Wintringham.

“We will all be better lawyers in the future thanks to his teachings,” Carroll said. “My classmates and I are proud to make this gift in honor of Dean Johnson and hope to continue to honor his legacy of leadership, service to the community, and dedication to equality for all.”

Wintringham also noted how Johnson embodied the philosophy of servant leadership at Elon Law. “He taught with a command that kept everyone engaged, yet was quick to enjoy a good joke,” she said. “He counted as friends both respected jurists and first year law students. He was never too busy to meet with students and, in fact, concern for students seemed to be his highest calling. Dean Johnson’s passing has left a tear in the fabric of Elon Law.”

The class gift was presented to Elon Law Dean Luke Bierman at the conclusion of Elon Law’s annual awards program to recognize outstanding achievement in each graduating class. Joining the presentation on December 11, 2020, was Dr. Linda Morris, Johnson’s wife.

“On behalf of George and our family, I’d like to thank the class for initiating this gift in honor of George, and I want to thank all of the donors who helped to make it possible,” Morris said. “Your generosity truly touches our hearts deeply and it is a wonderful way to recognize George’s work and his values.”

Contributions to the Class of 2020 Class Gift are still being accepted. Donors may also note that the gift is in memory of Dean Emeritus Johnson.

“I’m truly honored to be a part of the Elon Law Class of 2020,” Ensley said. “Despite all of the hardships we have endured, we chose to honor the law school and Dean Johnson’s legacy in such an inspirational way.”

The Elon Law Breaking Down Barriers Project aims to improve access, affordability and value for all students with an added emphasis on historically underrepresented students and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

A committee to be appointed by Elon Law Dean Luke Bierman will identify barriers to student success and first-time bar passage. It will explore factors like undergraduate credentials, age, race, gender, socio-economic status, geographical background, cultural traditions and family structure, then identify two interventions to promote academic and bar exam performance.

Potential interventions for further study are Elon Law’s “Learning Excellence Applied Personally (LEAP)” and Bar Mentorship programs.

First-year students in the LEAP program are grouped with second- and third-year students who serve as Academic Fellows and mentors. LEAP aims to help students acclimate to a new environment by addressing success barriers including transitioning from undergraduate life, workforce life, or family life to a professional school.

The Bar Mentorship program matches bar exam takers with an alum, faculty, or staff mentor that provides guidance through the bar study process. The mentors are selected based on similarities to the bar exam taker.

Once interventions are identified by the committee, Elon Law, with assistance from AccessLex, will create a detailed assessment plan to collect data and evaluate the effectiveness of its programs. Results of that analysis and collection should be finalized by the end of 2021.

AccessLex previously funded a three-year study of Elon Law’s accelerated curriculum. A report finalized in late 2019 assessed the impact of the law school’s move to a 2.5-year program that addresses what Bierman has described as common criticisms of legal education: cost, length, and relevance to the profession.

“I’m delighted to partner again with AccessLex to assess Elon Law’s innovative approach to legal education and our focus on helping students achieve their academic and career goals,” Bierman said. “Expanding access to legal education, ensuring more diversity in the profession, and promoting the value of a law degree at a time when young people are rightly focused on costs and student loan debt is something every law school should prioritize. AccessLex Institute’s investment in this project demonstrates that Elon Law is among those leading a national conversation on these important topics.”

51������ AccessLex Institute

AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the company’s mission since 1983. AccessLex Institute has offices in West Chester, Pa., and Washington, D.C., with a team of accredited financial education counselors based throughout the United States. Learn more at AccessLex.org.

51������ Elon Law

51������ School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina, provides a distinctive approach to legal education through its unique emphasis on learning by doing. It integrates traditional classroom instruction with highly experiential full-time residencies-in-practice in a logically sequenced program of transformational professional preparation. Elon Law’s groundbreaking approach is accomplished in 2.5 years, which has reduced student debt at graduation and permitted graduates early entry into their legal careers.

With funding from the Greensboro Virus Relief Fund – established by the , the and the – the clinic has hired Greensboro corporate attorney Daniel J. Lawall L’16 to supervise its COVID-19 Small Business Response Initiative.

Lawall will serve through August as the clinic’s practitioner-in-residence. His presence allows an expanded number of students to help clients identify resources and answer questions related to small business issues and recently passed federal legislation addressing the pandemic.

The Greensboro Virus Relief Fund considers applications from local nonprofits that provide services to coronavirus-impacted children, families, seniors, homeless and small businesses. The clinic anticipates serving up to 75 additional clients because of the grant.

In addition to direct legal services, Lawall and students in the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic will create educational materials to be disseminated to small business owners and to community partners who also assist small business owners.

“The direct legal assistance we’re able to provide to startups and nonprofits, especially in this time of economic uncertainty, is just one example of how Elon Law demonstrates helpfulness in a city teeming with knowledge and expertise from a half dozen institutions of higher learning,” said Elon Law Dean Luke Bierman. “Since our founding, Elon Law has served as a hub of learning, lawyering and leadership in downtown Greensboro. We’re pleased to be able to contribute to our community.”

Lawall previously served as in-house counsel to APEX Analytix LLC where he drafted, negotiated and executed a broad range of technology contracts, including software licensing, data privacy, open-source software, confidentiality, software-as-a-service, independent contractor, and professional services agreements.

Before graduating from Elon Law in 2016, Lawall grew his own knowledge of corporate law through work in the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic. Since then he has periodically assisted the clinic since then with instruction and education to assist student interns in developing analytical, planning, editorial and counseling skills in the context of client projects and reality-based course work.

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic is a fully operational law office staffed by faculty-led Elon Law students who provide pro bono business-related legal services to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Greensboro and throughout Guilford County otherwise unable to afford legal representation.

To qualify for free legal assistance, clients must meet certain income eligibility requirements for for-profit ventures and have five or fewer employees.

“These are startups and nonprofits that can’t afford to hire a private attorney because they’re in the earliest stages of development without a strong revenue stream,” said Associate Professor John Flynn, the clinic’s founding director. “Our clinic exists to nurture entrepreneurs whose success is integral to economic growth across our region.

“The United Way, the City of Greensboro, and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro have made it possible for Elon Law to support an even greater number of clients impacted by the pandemic. I’m thankful not only for their show of support for what we do but also for the support of my Elon Law faculty colleagues who offered ideas to further strengthen our clinic’s ties to the community.”

Entrepreneurial businesses and nonprofits interested in services from Elon Law’s Small Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic should contact businessclinic@elon.edu to schedule a consultation and to learn more about eligibility requirements. Please include “COVID-19” in the subject line of the email.

The AccessLex Institute, an organization aimed at helping “talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional,” awarded funding to every member institution that has pledged to distribute the money to students in need.

Elon Law’s existing Emergency Student Grant Fund already provides temporary, short-term assistance to students who encounter an unforeseen financial emergency or catastrophic event. Gifts at graduation from the Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 established and contributed, respectively, to the law school’s existing fund.

The newest gift from AccessLex ensures that Elon Law emergency funds due to the impact of COVID-19 will continue uninterrupted.

“We can’t thank AccessLex enough for its generosity during this worldwide public health emergency,” said Elon Law Dean Luke Bierman. “We’re now able to increase exponentially the aid available to Elon Law students in crisis and bring them a measure of comfort as they keep focused on the goals they already set for themselves – to learn the law, pass the bar exam, and serve as lawyer leaders in the profession and their communities.”

A student is only eligible one time to receive emergency assistance of up to $600. Emergency relief funds are administered through the Office of Career & Student Development and applications are reviewed by a committee.

For more information on emergency funds, including criteria and an application, contact Stacie Dooley, director of student life at Elon Law, at sdooley3@elon.edu. Decisions regarding distributions of monies from the emergency relief funds will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds have been exhausted. 

The gift from the AccessLex Institute continues a long-standing relationship with Elon Law. AccessLex previously awarded Elon Law a grant to study the school’s adoption of a 2.5-year curriculum, the results of which included stronger success on the bar exam, a reduction in student debt at graduation, and improvements in the diversity of classes at both matriculation and graduation.

51������ AccessLex

AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the company’s mission since 1983. AccessLex Institute has offices in West Chester, Pa., and Washington, D.C., with a team of accredited financial education counselors based throughout the United States. Learn more at AccessLex.org.

51������ Elon Law

51������ School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. It integrates traditional classroom instruction with highly experiential full-time residencies-in-practice in a logically sequenced program of transformational professional preparation. Elon Law’s groundbreaking approach is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides distinctive value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their professional careers.