AB INITIO - THE BIRTH OF A LAW SCHOOL

Many law schools go through a series of developmental steps, starting as local schools, growing to regional legal education centers, and then, in a limited number of cases, developing into national law schools.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law intends to short circuit this process. Readers of prior articles in this series will recall that the University did not reopen its law school in order to offer an “ordinary” program. Rather, the feasibility student recommended — and the University’s Board of Trustees agreed — that the University should reopen its law school only if the school would be true to a special mission and only if the law school could, from the very beginning, be a national impact legal education institution.

A national law school is one that recruits faculty and students from across the nation (indeed, from around the globe). Its students have strong academic credentials, including strong LSAT scores and college grades. Members of its faculty have superb academic credentials and national or international reputations; their scholarship is widely read, is often presented at academic conferences and elsewhere, and influences judges, legislators, lawyers, and other academics. Equally as important, members of its faculty have reputations as strong teachers. The curriculum of a national law school is innovative and is widely copied by other law schools.

To use a sports analogy, national law schools are those that play in the major leagues, while regional or local law schools are those that play at other professional levels. There are differences within each league. Some national law schools are perennial pennant contenders, while others are expansion teams. Some local law schools play in “AAA,” while others play in the rookie leagues. But national law schools play in an entirely different league — and have an entirely different impact — than even the best local law schools.

Most law schools never have the choice to be national impact law schools. Their economic and other circumstances are such that they must start as regional or local institutions and hope to work their way up through the “minor leagues.” They start out in the rookie league and, over time, work their way up to “AA” or “AAA.” The majority of law schools never reach the major leagues.

The University of St. Thomas has an exceptional opportunity. It can do what few law schools have ever done: open a law school that, from its inception, is a national impact school. This will not be easy. It will require several elements, all of which must be established if the law school is to have a national impact.

Among the requirements for a national impact law school are the following:

• Distinctive Mission. The law school must have a mission that sets it apart from other law schools and that attracts faculty and students who could teach or study at other national law schools.
• Nationally Respected Administration. The dean, the associate dean, and the assistant deans of the law school must be people who are known nationally and who will instantly command respect from the legal academy. Obviously, they should have experience in teaching or administration at national law schools.
• Nationally Respected Faculty. Beginning with the first year of operation, the faculty must include seminal scholars and innovative teachers. To a substantial extent, the reputation of the law school will be created when the rest of the legal academy learns of the identity of the initial administration and faculty.
• Students who “have what it takes.” A national law school cannot underestimate the importance of the quantitative academic credentials of its student body. It should offer a demanding academic program, and it must admit students who can meet those demands. That said, it takes a well-rounded person to be a good lawyer. Therefore, a national law school should select students on the basis of multiple criteria, many of which will be qualitative.
• Innovative Curriculum. Leading national law schools have a distinctive curriculum that is not only closely tied to the school’s mission but is different enough from the curricula of other schools to give faculty and students a reason to study and research at the particular institution.
• Exceptional Physical Facility. The physical environment of a law school is an extremely important factor for faculty and students who are considering joining that institution. Many established national law schools have recently improved their facilities in order to be more competitive in attracting faculty and students. Therefore, a new national impact school needs a signature building, a cutting-edge electronic research and teaching system, and a research quality book and manuscript collection.
• Substantial Endowment and Annual Budget. National law schools cannot be tuition-dependent. The quality of the law school’s administration, faculty, curriculum, and physical facility all depend upon raising an adequate endowment. If a law school is to have a national impact, its spirit of innovation cannot be compromised because of a lack of funding. Furthermore, a national law school needs a substantial financial aid package to attract “top-notch” students.

Opening a national law school is obviously not easy. So why would the officers and trustees of the University of St. Thomas decide to make the substantial investment that a national law school demands? The answer is simple. St. Thomas is not opening a law school because it believes that the world needs more law schools. There are plenty of good local, regional and national law schools, not only in Minnesota, but throughout the country. St. Thomas is opening a law school because it believes that the world needs a law school with its unique mission. Such a law school cannot have an impact — it cannot influence legal education and the legal profession — unless it opens as a national school. The University of St. Thomas is well on its way to accomplishing that goal.

David T. Link
Dean
University of St. Thomas School of Law

posted November 30, 2000

For more information please contact:

University of St. Thomas School of Law
MPL 440
1000 LaSalle Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403

E-mail: Lawschool@stthomas.edu
Web: http://www.stthomas.edu/lawschool

———————————————————————
Discussion

• responses to be posted...