www.FreeLegalResearch.com | www.FreeMPRE.com | www.FreeBarReview.com
www.ManhattanLawSchool.com |
www.EnPassant.com
www.LawCentralStation.com
| www.LawSchool100.com
| www.ChessLaw.com
Senate clears way for UNT to open Dallas facility this decade
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
AUSTIN – The first public law school in Dallas and North Texas would be
established by the end of the decade under legislation passed Monday by the
Senate. The measure by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, would clear the way for the
University of North Texas to open a law school in downtown Dallas and begin
accepting students by fall 2009. Approved on a 27-3 vote, the bill now goes to the House. "When you begin to look at it, there is no public law school in one of
the fastest-growing areas of the state," Mr. West said of his motivation
for the bill. "We can't wait until we need it to begin planning for
it." The senator said the law school proposal "is yet another step in
developing a greater presence for institutions of higher education for Dallas
and the surrounding cities." And he cited the previous establishment of a
UNT campus in Dallas. Texas has four public law schools – the University of Texas at Austin,
Texas Tech University (Lubbock), Texas Southern University (Houston) and the
University of Houston. There are five private law schools, including Southern
Methodist University in Dallas and Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. Mr. West predicted that the new law school would have an enrollment somewhere
above the enrollment at Texas Southern – nearly 800 students. Before passage of the measure, Mr. West was forced to accept an amendment
that transferred responsibility for a feasibility study on the law school from
UNT to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The senator had designated UNT to conduct the study after coordinating board
officials previously opposed creation of the law school in Dallas. But Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, said the approval process essentially
allowed the University of North Texas to decide whether it should receive
additional state funding to operate a law school in Dallas. "This is like the fox guarding the henhouse," Mr. Duncan said.
"I have a concern that we're going to appropriate money based on a
feasibility study by the institution that stands to benefit and receive the
additional money." Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, said he assumed the higher education
coordinating board would weigh in on the proposal when he agreed earlier to
support the legislation. "I'm finding out today for the first time that the feasibility study for
this school is being done by the University of North Texas," he said. That brought a sharp response from Mr. West, who said, "If you don't
want to support this bill and go back on your word, that's fine." Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, also questioned resistance to the bill, saying,
"It disturbs me when I go to a place like Texas Tech and they're putting up
new buildings everywhere" – while Dallas has had trouble getting higher
education opportunities for its residents. Mr. Duncan offered an amendment to switch responsibility for the feasibility
study to the coordinating board, which oversees and supports higher education
institutions in the state. Sensing a drop-off in Senate support for his bill, Mr. West agreed to accept
the Duncan amendment. Later, Mr. West said the coordinating board would not be able to come back
and kill the law school bill with its feasibility study. "The coordinating board is supposed to look at the feasibility of the
steps necessary for accreditation. They cannot come back and say there should
not be a law school in Dallas," he said. Under the bill, about $600,000 would be appropriated over the next two years
for UNT to begin planning for the law school. The feasibility study would be due
by June 1, 2006. The law school would be in the old municipal building in downtown Dallas,
located at 106 S. Harwood St. The project will be developed jointly by the UNT
system and the city of Dallas.