Charleston School of Law selects new dean

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The Charleston School of Law has named Larry Cunningham to replace outgoing dean Andy Abrams, the school said in a news release.

Cunningham has been a law professor at the St. John’s University School of Law in Queens, N.Y., for 12 years. President J. Edward Bell III said Cunningham was selected after a national search for a new dean.

“During my visit, I was impressed by the faculty’s commitment to students and effective teaching,” Cunningham said in a statement. “The students I met with were energetic, thoughtful, and committed to using their education to serve the greater good. I look forward to helping the Law School achieve its goals in the years to come.”

Cunningham is slated begin his duties June 30.

Bell said that Abrams will stay on as a member of the Charleston School of Law faculty and will continue to teach.

“Outgoing Dean Andy Abrams, who has been a staunch supporter and guiding force of the law school for the past 12 years, has not only been an asset to our school, but his leadership and guidance has helped us get through some very tumultuous times, keeping the school on solid and firm ground,” Bell said.

Cunningham holds a bachelor’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and a law degree from Georgetown, among other academic and professional credentials. He served as a prosecutor and federal judicial law clerk, the school said, and in 2016 he served as a Fulbright Specialist in Cambodia, lecturing at the Royal University of Law and Economics.