Dean Defends Decision to Open New Law School in Fort Wayne in August 2013

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:  Will Jobs be There for Law School Grads? Dean Defends Indiana Tech’s Plans to Open:

Peter Alexander is tired of explaining it.

But the question keeps coming up: Why does Indiana need another law school?

Alexander is the dean of the newly created law school at Indiana Tech. And after a new set of statistics came out this month, showing again that there are, perhaps, more lawyers than needed, Alexander was again asked about it.

He is adamant: It’s not about the number of job openings versus the number of law school graduates. It’s about the quality of the law school graduate. And Indiana Tech’s new law school will turn out high-quality graduates, making them necessities in any market, he said. "If we do our jobs, then our students will be the ones law firms want to hire,” Alexander said. ...

The Hoosier State has four law schools already – two public and two private. Indiana Tech’s is slated to open this summer.

What kind of job possibilities exist for Indiana Tech’s graduates when they finish up is a matter of heated debate. ...

Alexander said Indiana Tech’s new law school will stand out in how it prepares students to be lawyers. Similar to a medical school approach to education, Indiana Tech students will do classroom work but spend time on practicums and externships. Seventy-five Allen County judges and lawyers have already signed up to be mentors for the program, Alexander said. “I think even the bench and the bar recognize we’re doing something different or they wouldn’t put their support behind it,” he said. ...

It is difficult, though, to determine how Tech’s approach differs from the offerings at other law schools within the state. ...

Indiana Tech is still taking applications for the law school, and a few students have been admitted already. The school is scheduled to open in August. “We’re comfortable with where we are, but I guess the students will tell us at the end of the day,” he said.

(Hat Tip: Above the Law.)  Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Indiana Tech to Open New Law School in Fort Wayne in Fall 2013 (May 17, 2011)
• Indiana Tech Breaks Ground on New $15 Million Law School In Fort Wayne (May 18, 2012)
• Indiana Tech Hires Minority Dominated Faculty for New Fort Wayne Law School (Aug. 9, 2012)