Atlanta's John Marshall Law School

AJMLS was founded in 1933 in Atlanta and was among the first southern law schools to integrate . [ 5 ] It received American Bar Association (ABA) approval in 2005. [ 6 ] In October 2017, the ABA concluded that the Law School was not in compliance with ABA Standards 301(a), 309(b), and 501(a)/501(b), and in December 2018, the ABA placed the school on probation for "substantial" and "persistent" non-compliance with those standards. [ 7 ] At its November 2019 meeting, the Council removed the Law School from probation. [ 8 ] On May 15, 2020, the council of the American Bar Association ’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar determined AJMLS and nine other ABA law schools had significant noncompliance with Standard 316. [ 9 ] This Standard was revised in 2019 to provide that at least 75% of an accredited law school's graduates who took a bar exam must pass one within two years of graduation. [ 9 ] On February 26, 2021, the ABA's council posted that the school was now in compliance with the standard. [ 10 ] In late 2011, AJMLS opened a branch campus in Savannah, Georgia , named Savannah Law School . [ 11 ] In March 2018, the Law School announced its branch campus in Savannah was no longer accepting applications for 2018 and offered its current students options to continue their legal education in Savannah, initiate an intra-campus transfer to the main campus in Atlanta, or seek to transfer or visit at a different institution. [ 12 ]

AJMLS was founded in 1933 in Atlanta and was among the first southern law schools to integrate . [ 5 ] It received American Bar Association (ABA) approval in 2005. [ 6 ] In October 2017, the ABA concluded that the Law School was not in compliance with ABA Standards 301(a), 309(b), and 501(a)/501(b), and in December 2018, the ABA placed the school on probation for "substantial" and "persistent" non-compliance with those standards. [ 7 ] At its November 2019 meeting, the Council removed the Law School from probation. [ 8 ] On May 15, 2020, the council of the American Bar Association ’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar determined AJMLS and nine other ABA law schools had significant noncompliance with Standard 316. [ 9 ] This Standard was revised in 2019 to provide that at least 75% of an accredited law school's graduates who took a bar exam must pass one within two years of graduation. [ 9 ] On February 26, 2021, the ABA's council posted that the school was now in compliance with the standard. [ 10 ] In late 2011, AJMLS opened a branch campus in Savannah, Georgia , named Savannah Law School . [ 11 ] In March 2018, the Law School announced its branch campus in Savannah was no longer accepting applications for 2018 and offered its current students options to continue their legal education in Savannah, initiate an intra-campus transfer to the main campus in Atlanta, or seek to transfer or visit at a different institution. [ 12 ] In 2025, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School established the Criminal and Civil Justice Institute (CCJI) in partnership with Gideon's Promise and The Barristers Society [ 13 ] .The institute was created to provide practical training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for law students and early-career attorneys, with a focus on improving access to justice for underserved communities.

The CCJI connects students and alumni with experienced attorneys through externships, internships, and mentorship programs designed to supplement classroom instruction with hands-on legal experience in criminal and civil practice. The institute also hosts workshops, seminars, and continuing legal education programs for students and practicing attorneys, particularly those in solo or small-firm settings. Through its partnerships, the Criminal and Civil Justice Institute seeks to support professional development, strengthen legal advocacy skills, and contribute to improved quality of legal representation in the Atlanta area and beyond.

Internal staircase Street entrance Library stacks View from 18th floor Teaching courtroom Student lounge and kitchen After selling its Midtown Atlanta building in 2020, [ 14 ] the Law School relocated to Peachtree Center in Downtown Atlanta . [ 15 ] After a multi-floor construction project, the Law School took possession of its new campus on August 6, 2021. It is now housed in One Marquis Tower and comprises almost 60,000 square feet of classroom and office space, including a law library and courtroom. The construction project was completed in less than 24 weeks. [ 16 ]