SMU, A&M Scrap Evening Law Programs

[AfricanMustang]

When Jennifer Collins was a law student, she said things were different. To motivated, but indecisive, students, studying law seemed like a solid path to success.

“They didn’t enjoy organic chemistry, so decided medical school wasn’t for them, and they went to law school instead,” Collins said.

Today, Collins is the dean of SMU’s Dedman School of Law.

Before Texas A&M decided to cut its evening program, Morris said the school hired a research firm to look at why fewer people were applying.

The report highlighted a new player on the scene – UNT Dallas College of Law, which opened a couple of years ago.

Location matters. A&M’s law school is in Fort Worth. Morris said researchers found most people applying to the evening program were in Dallas. When it came down to it, they just didn’t want to drive to Fort Worth for class after a day’s work.

While evening programs are suffering, Texas A&M’s traditional, daytime law program is thriving. SMU law school dean Jennifer Collins sees the same on her campus. This year, applications to SMU’s School of Law rose almost 8 percent compared to the nationwide average of nearly 2 percent.

“We are so lucky to be located in Dallas with its economy and all the job opportunities that are still here and so lots of students want to come take advantage of the opportunities that we offer," Collins said.

http://keranews.org/post/smu-am-scrap-e ... w-programs

[SoCal_Pony]

from your link above:

UNT Dallas Law School Program In Danger Of Not Receiving Accreditation

According to the Princeton Review, a law school graduate cannot take the bar exam without having attended a school accredited by the American Bar Association in most states.

[Pony^]

New Dallas Law School In Peril After ABA Denial Of Provisional Accreditation

http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog ... ation.html

[rodrod5]

who did not see that freight train of fail coming down the tracks

hey everyone I have a brilliant idea

lets open a law school at a time that law jobs are the worst they have ever been and law graduate numbers are way to high

and while we are at it lets recruit low caliber students that even desperate schools are not taking in an era of shrinking applicant numbers and shrinking first year class size

then lets top it off by doing it on the cheap and charging way to little and hiring a bunch of people to run the school that have never run a law school and never faced an accreditation review

what could possibly go wrong and why would anyone be against this "opportunity"

oh wait you mean that it is really not "opportunity" to get a law degree from a school that does not get accredited in a state where your degree has to be accredited to sit for the bar......did we tell you how little it cost though...

$100 million dollars in state higher ed dollars flushed down the toilet and counting

when you combine that with the north Texas state theft of $80+ million in state dollars and the north Texas state dallas disaster that is about $300 million dollars in wasted higher ed dollars for the north Texas state system and counting

[EastStang]

I assume that they can sit for the Texas Bar Exam. The problem is that Texas does not have reciprocity with very many states.

[Grant Carter]

I assume that they can sit for the Texas Bar Exam. The problem is that Texas does not have reciprocity with very many states.

You cannot sit for the Texas bar exam unless you graduate from an accredited law school.

[PonyKai]

Market is awash in lawyers. I don't care if you have a new angle, outside of very, very rare exceptions (Chemirinsky's new school in California), anyone contemplating opening a law school in this environment should be publicly shamed.

[gostangs]

I am shocked this has not been picked up by any media. The decisions at UNT on a number of fronts have been shockingly bad.

[SMU Football Blog]

When I went to law school in Houston, I had a conversation with a professor about the night school. I took a number of things away. First, the night school is a cash grab. It ultimately costs more to go to law school at night. Second, it is easier to get into a law school if you apply for the night program. There is less competition for spots. My personal experience from talking to night class students at the time reflected that. Top 10 in the night class is probably to 25 in a regular section. Third, the education is not as good because the good professors don't want to teach at night (except the old horn dogs).

I agree that adding a law school at this time was dumb. There are too many lawyers. Too hard to get a good job. The profession has generally gone downhill. The cost does not justify what you get paid unless you are the top in your class and that is just for 2-3 years and the big firms weed all but the best out. I don't know how someone can go to law school and then take a job in Govt or the DA and get meaningful experience.

There are some that say there are not enough lawyers, but those people have visions of every consumer suing companies for every perceived grievance. Emphasis on "perceived."

[Grant Carter]

I am shocked this has not been picked up by any media. The decisions at UNT on a number of fronts have been shockingly bad.

It was in the Dallas Morning News earlier this week if that counts.