Established in 1994 in Grundy, Virginia, the Appalachian School of Law was the product of a group of local lawyers who wanted to provide educational opportunities for law students in central Appalachia. Its first class, comprised of 71 students, gained admittance to the institution in 1997. Today, the Appalachian School of Law (ASL) administers a rigorous American Bar Association-accredited juris doctor program led by a nationally recruited faculty whose members are both well-qualified and diverse. Placing a particular emphasis on practical skills, ASL gives law students ample opportunities to gain experience in the professional setting and through community service. Although the student body consists largely of residents of Virginia and its surrounding states, ASL also attracts domestic students from as far away as the Pacific Northwest and foreign students from nations as distant as Pakistan. Its distinguished alumni include United States Marine Corps judge advocate general Joey Mossor, assistant US attorney Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, and Maine State Representative Jarrod Crockett.