A&M to Join Texas Wesleyan to Create New Law School
According to Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, a law school is "one of the few things that have been missing from A&M for a very long time."
That era is coming to a close.
The board of trustees at Texas Wesleyan University, a small, private university in Fort Worth has approved a letter of intent that would allow it to enter into a partnership with A&M, creating what will be known as the Texas A&M School of Law at Texas Wesleyan University. The A&M System Board of Regents is expected to vote on ...
Comments (17)
Olga Campos Benz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I want to be sure daughter, Corey Benz, and her boyfriend, Nathan Levenson, see this - since he has been accepted to Texas Wesleyan Law School & will start in the Fall. Can't wait to see you both soon!!!!
Atech Homenet via Texas Tribune on Facebook
what a crock of sh_t - It's like UTA joining forces with a Baptist Church to create a local social awareness district/complex/campus. IT's crap! and the immature conservatives control more land and institutions! Well it's in Texas what do you expect(?)
DavidSiegel
Is this really a top priority for the State of Texas?
See this morning's Wall St Journal:
Members of the law-school class of 2011 had little better than a 50-50 shot of landing a job as a lawyer within nine months of receiving a degree, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of new data that provides the most detailed picture yet of the grim market for law jobs.
And compare to the dismal statistics about the availability of medical care in this state. Wouldn't it be better to expand A&M's vet school to take in one more species - humans?
Donald Dickson
Lawyer jokes and Aggie jokes....better than peanut butter and chocolate.
Seriously, I don't understand how changing the name is supposed to result in a higher ranking. (And don't get me started on the silly rankings and everything that law schools do to game the system.) It's like buying a tube of toothpaste that proclaims itself "NEW AND IMPROVED!"
If changing the name DOES result in a higher ranking....well, that will prove my point about the rankings.
Louis Puente via Texas Tribune on Facebook
A&M tried, but failed to get the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's approval on the South Texas College of Law partnership not too long ago. What's different now?
Matt Keneson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@atech: i have no idea what you are even saying
@Louis: there is a chance that it could happen again, but one difference I see is that UH already had a great, public law school in Houston and DFW does not.
Michael Tex Duncan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Louis... Could be that all the members of the THECB have now been appointed by an Aggie.
Michael Tex Duncan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Matt There will be a public DFW law school, presumably in 2014.
Nicholas Taylor via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Unless A&M makes some major changes to the school, this was a bad investment. Only 68.89% of its students passed the bar in February.
http://www.ble.state.tx.us/Stats/stats_0212.htm
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who would hire an aggy lawyer? That would be a major---fail.
Michael Tex Duncan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Nicholas - TSU's solution to low bar passage rates is to flunk students out during 1L, though they're still <50%.
WUSRPH
If you check the history books you will see that A&M tried this same tactic some time ago when it tried to take over the South Texas School of Law in Houston.....That time the Legislature made it quite clear that was a No-No....and the deal fell thru. We have enough law schools already....Just because A&M does not have a law school is no reason to allow the deal to go thru this time....It does not have a space station of its own either...is that next.
The same applies to the UT Medical School in Austin....Just because Austin does not have a medical school does not justify the expense...especially since they want the local taxpayers to ponyup more than $35 million per year to support it. We already have a medical school in the area in Round Rock and it should meet the need--even if it is a Aggie outfit.
Dave Lilley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why does everyone care so much about what A&M does/doesn't do? Worry about your OWN Alma Mater (if you even have one).
Matt Keneson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Michael: I have heard that UNT's plans for the law school had been put on hold, but yes their plan was for 2014 in Dallas I think.
A big issue here though is that A&M is NOT creating a law school. They are taking one over and will, like Nicholas mentioned, improve it. It would be a completely different story to let them create one from the ground up.
Leon Drozd
So much for the sanctity of private legal education. Sounds like a big corporate takeover at a time of vulnerability and weakness.
Did the law school have separate and competent legal counsel?
How will the A&M System Board of Regents pay for this? Was a marketing study of the need for this move undertaken beforehand? How about sharing a copy of that study? I noticed the same Wall Street Journal article cited by David Siegel.
This should attract some of that right wing and evangelist donors who want to shape the perspectives of a next generation of Texas lawyers. I wonder if Rick Perry will donate his left over campaign proceeds to set up a Rick Perry -- or John Sharp -- Professorship in Political Law.
Just think. If all the money floating around in politics since Citizens United were devoted to good causes such as support of higher education, then tuition might be reduced to levels commensurate with interest rates and other financial woes of colleges and universities might be solved.
Ted McKnight via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm in favor of everyone qualified going to law school. Just hope very few actually practice law.
m herrera
Leave it to Republicans to make this weak move. SMH ....and yes, I am an Aggie.