Ave Maria to open its doors in Naples.

Ave Maria Law School, Florida's 11th law school, won't just be opening in Southwest Florida for its first classes in the state this fall. It will be welcoming its largest incoming class ever.

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Mitch Counts, associate dean for academic affairs at Ave Maria, gave an overview of the state's newest law school at the Bar Board of Governors July meeting. The school, with permission from the ABA, moved from Michigan to near Naples this year.

Counts said the school expects to welcome about 200 first-year law students when it opens later this month, with a total student population of around 330, from 43 states. The school, which originally opened near Ann Arbor, Michigan, began accepting students in August 2000, and was fully accredited by the ABA in 2005.

"Basically what we do is combine the substantive law with the moral and ethical underpinnings of the law," Counts told the board. "Relying on the natural law, our professors teach not only what the law is, but what the law should be. Thus, we train future lawyers without apology in the traditions of Judeo/Christian jurisprudence. We have courses that are specifically devoted to this area, the moral and ethical underpinning, the moral foundations of the law, ethical public policy, jurisprudence, and professional responsibility. All are required courses that all students must take."

He added, "In every class where it's appropriate to do so, we also incorporate the Catholic intellectual tradition."

The school has also had several relationships with Supreme Court justices, Counts said. He noted that Justice Antonin Scalia served on the curriculum committee; one graduate clerked for Justice Samuel Alito while he was an appeals judge; and Justice Clarence Thomas has been a commencement speaker and visited the school a number of times.

The school offers several clinical programs, and one helping immigrants and victims of human trafficking has been particularly popular, Counts said, as has another focusing on patent law.

The Ave Maria law library will be open to both lawyers and the public, Counts said, adding, "I think that's one of the large services the law school will perform for the community."