The Bay State is about to have its very own state law school. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education has now approved the acquisition of the private Southern New England School of Law by University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. The acquisition is controversial and we've blogged about it here, here, and here. The most recent reports suggest that people are being a bit more realistic in their public statements about the law school. Initially, some advocates argued that this would be a cash cow for the state - returning north of a million dollars a year to state coffers. These same folks suggested that you could hold tuition constant, build a nestegg for the school…and score ABA accreditation. The problem is that this scenario is almost certainly an impossibility. Now, however, we're starting to hear that UMass will plunge $15 million into the law school over the next four years.
The truth will only unfold over time. But UMass has an institutional stake in building a good law school. And good law schools (particularly in the corridor) cost money. Good schools pay entry level faculty six figure salaries. They provide these faculty with research budgets and summer stipends. They pay for pricey databases and extensive library support staff. And they work hard to boost LSAT and GPA numbers – by aggressively discounting tuition. The cost of this new law school is directly related to the University's aspirations for its new baby. But I hope state legislators don't start spending their newfound "wealth" too quickly.