I was pretty bummed in 2005 when the Republican-packed UMass Board of Trustees voted down a very reasonable proposal to create an affordable public law school. They even floated the idea of free tuition for students who committed to be public defenders for a year after graduation.
While it may be too late to benefit me, I’m nonetheless glad to see the effort revitalized by a Worcester city councilor. With a Democratic governor and an ex-Worcester mayor as Lt. Gov. I think this plan might have legs this time around.
Massachusetts is one in six states without a public law school. That bastion of economic progressiveness, the State of Arkansas, has two. I believe a UMass Law school would go a long way in promoting market access to those who cannot afford to attend private law school and would expand the scope of public interest attorneys whom would remain in the state.
..one of the best ideas I’ve heard in a long time.
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p>We talk a lot about how we value public education in this state. Let’s back that up with a little dough to make this happen.
As someone who is currently paying 36K a year to attend a private law school – I would have loved to attend a public law school in the state! I remember some talk prior to 2005 to convert Bradford College in Haverhill into a public law school. Of course, that went nowhere and there is now a small Christian divinity school there. I think most people around the country would be shocked to know that Massachusetts does not have a law school.
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p>However, I’m sure places like Suffolk, Northeastern, New England Law School, and Western New England College would be lobbying against this kind of a proposal.
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p>I say – bring it on!
..it hard to believe that most of the schools you mention would lobby against a public law school in MA. Collectively they all turn away hundreds if not thousands of applicants each year.
It’s not that the existing private law schools in this state are concerned about a public law school poaching students away from them. It’s the fact that an additional law school in this state- whether public or private- would produce an additional 300 or so lawyers each year. The private schools figure that the law profession is already crowded and competitive enough. Too many lawyers chasing too few clients. Keeping down the number of law students keeps down the number lawyers.
(That’s their view, not mine. I was actually hoping UMass would take over SNESL.)
BU in particular was pushing hard against the 2005 proposal.