Ashley Castillo, Assistant Dean of Students & Director of the Bergmann & Moore Veterans Clinic – Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law, High Point University

Invest: spoke with Ashley Castillo, assistant dean of students and director of the Bergmann & Moore Veterans Law Clinic at the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law at High Point University, about its newly acquired provisional accreditation, supporting students, and the school’s priorities moving forward. “We are more than professors standing and teaching. We really care about the future of our students and where they’re going,” Castillo said.

How does the law school’s provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association change your priorities, and what does it mean for the program’s growth?

That is a significant milestone for us. My role is as dean of students at the law school and director of the Veterans Law Clinic, so I can speak most directly from that perspective. For the law school overall, receiving provisional accreditation is a major step as we continue working toward full accreditation.

It was especially important for our students. The students who started in the first 1L class came in at the beginning of this effort, and now that we have provisional accreditation, we can tell prospective students that this milestone is in place. We believe that will help us attract more applications and continue building momentum.

How is the growth of the region shaping student interest and the role of law programs?

We have students in our rising 3L class from 14 different states. While a majority of our students come from North Carolina, there is clearly interest from across the country in attending our law school. Some of the areas that interest students are the clinics we offer, including the Veterans Law Clinic, the Community Law Clinic, and the Appellate Clinic.

Our professors also come from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. Some faculty members have taught for decades at other law schools, while others bring extensive real-world legal practice experience. Before joining the law school to establish the Bergmann & Moore Veterans Law Clinic, I served for a decade as counsel and Acting Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. In addition, our Founding Dean, Mark Martin, previously served as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

That breadth of experience helps ensure that our students receive a well-rounded legal education.

Because this is a new law program, the first year is focused on the core curriculum. As students move into their second and third years, they can begin taking electives. We are listening closely to students about the electives they want, and that feedback is helping shape the program. Many students are interested in business law courses, which also helps guide the professors and practitioners we seek to bring in to teach in those areas.

First-year students focus on the traditional doctrinal courses that provide the foundation for legal education. As students move into their second and third years, they can begin taking electives. We are listening closely to students about the electives they want, and that feedback is helping shape the program. For instance, many students are interested in business law courses, which also helps guide the professors and practitioners we seek to bring in to teach in those areas.

How are student expectations evolving, especially around career paths, university support, and outcomes?

One of our focuses at the law school, and a promise made to the first class, was that we would get students an internship in their first year. That is unusual for a law school, especially in the first year, but we have done that.

Our Director of Career Development, John Kasprzak, and Assistant Director of Career Development, Diana Santos Johnson, meet one-on-one with our law students to discuss their professional interests and career goals after law school. They work closely with students to help secure summer internships and identify opportunities in areas where students may ultimately wish to practice.

The Career Development Office has also built strong relationships within the legal community and regularly connects with employers and practitioners to support student placement opportunities. Members of the community have been welcoming and supportive of our students, and it has been encouraging to see that level of engagement and investment in the success of our law school.

You lead the Bergmann & Moore Veterans Law Clinic. How does that work connect to broader legal needs in the region?

The Veterans Law Clinic focuses on representing veterans in VA disability compensation claims and appeals. Because veterans law is a federal practice area, the clinic can serve veterans throughout the United States. However, my vision for the clinic was also to serve veterans within the local community.

One important aspect of that vision is providing students with opportunities to meet veterans in person, develop client interviewing skills, and learn how to navigate difficult and sensitive client conversations. That approach has been highly successful. We initially began by representing one local veteran, and through word of mouth, veterans have continued referring other veterans to the clinic.

Student interest in the clinic has also been exceptionally strong. As a result, I developed Veterans Law II to allow students to continue their clinic experience for a full academic year.

A highlight of the clinic is Veterans Advice and Referral Day, which was also part of my vision. Once a semester, we open the clinic doors on a Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to noon and invite veterans from the community to come in. We are not taking their cases that day, but we will answer their questions.

Everything the students have learned throughout the semester comes together in practice. Veterans meet with our students, and the students are prepared to answer questions, gather information, and begin identifying potential legal issues, and give the veterans advice. I supervise the process, and experienced volunteer veterans law attorneys are available to provide guidance and support when needed.

The Veterans Advice and Referral Day provides a meaningful opportunity to serve veterans in the community while teaching students how to interact with clients, conduct effective interviews, and develop an understanding of VA disability compensation law and veterans law in a real-world setting.

How are you adapting technology and AI developments within the curriculum?

We are cautious with AI, but we are not avoiding it. In today’s environment, you cannot really avoid AI, so the best way to describe our approach is that some courses use it with guardrails.

In our research and writing classes, professors are teaching students how to use it appropriately. For example, a professor may ask students to draft something on their own and turn it in. Then the professor may ask them to use AI and give them guidance on what tool to use and what to enter, and then evaluate whether it can make the work better.

Sometimes it is not better, and that is part of what the professor is showing students. Their own voice is okay. If they do want to use AI, we want to teach them the appropriate way to use it.

How are you attracting and retaining both students and faculty?

Attracting students to a new law school requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. Fortunately, we have an outstanding Dean of Admissions, Jay Shively, who brings more than 25 years of admissions experience from institutions across the country. He regularly attends law school admissions and recruitment events, where he introduces prospective students to High Point University and shares what makes our program distinctive.

He emphasizes our mission-driven approach, our focus on developing practice-ready attorneys, and our commitment to teaching the life skills that lawyers need to succeed professionally and personally. Word of mouth has also played an important role. Students who have joined our community often share their positive experiences with others, which continues to build enthusiasm and momentum for the law school.

For faculty and professors, I can speak from my own experience. I was working at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals for 10 years as counsel and as an acting veterans law judge when someone in Washington, D.C., called me and said there was a job listing I might be interested in.

I had heard of High Point but did not realize at the time that it had a law school. When I saw what the mission was, met the faculty, and met some of the staff members, I felt this was the place I had to be. I moved here, and I think my story is similar to that of other faculty members. They are drawn here because of the mission, the life skills focus, and what we are trying to create.

How will the program continue to position itself in a competitive and fast-growing market?

It comes back to staying close to our mission and purpose. The mission of High Point University is God, family, and country, and that is the same for us at the law school. As long as we continue to recognize and acknowledge that mission, along with the importance of life skills, I think we will continue attracting people who want that. That is what sets us apart, and that is what keeps students coming.

What are your top priorities for the next two to three years?

Things have moved quickly since the law school opened. Our inaugural class included 71 students, and our second entering class grew to 75 students, which is an outstanding result for a new law school. As we continue to grow, my hope is that we maintain strong student-to-faculty ratios so we can preserve the close connections and individualized attention that make our law school unique.

One of the distinctive aspects of High Point University is our emphasis on mentorship. Each faculty member is assigned student mentees, and we meet with students regularly to discuss their academic plans, career goals, and next steps. Those individual conversations allow us to better understand students’ needs and provide meaningful guidance throughout law school.

Maintaining that level of personal engagement is important because our students know that we genuinely care about their success. We are more than professors teaching in a classroom—we are invested in our students’ futures and committed to helping them achieve their goals.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I truly feel that my work at High Point University allows me to serve a meaningful purpose. I believe many of our faculty members feel the same way. Together, we are building something distinctive at this law school and working toward a shared mission.

We are deeply invested in our students and genuinely want to see them succeed. That commitment extends beyond the classroom and reflects the culture we are creating within the law school community.