3 Years After $20 Million Naming Gift, University Of Kentucky Is Out Of Compliance With Accreditation Standard That Law Schools Have Sufficient Financial Resources

ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar Council Decision, Notice of Finding Significant Noncompliance With Standard 202 (University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law) (Feb. 2023):

At its February 16-17, 2023, meeting, the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (the “Council”) considered the status of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law (the “Law School”) and concluded that the Law School is not in compliance with Standard 202(a).

Accreditation Standard 202 Resources For Program
(a) The current and anticipated financial resources available to the law school shall be sufficient for it to operate in compliance with the Standards and to carry out its program of legal education.

ABA Journal, Finance-Related Notice for Kentucky Law School Posted by ABA Legal Ed:

“We are in compliance with all standards but for a standard related to aspects of the college’s budget. We remain accredited, so there is no impact on the college and the outstanding education it provides,” wrote a university spokesperson in an email to the ABA Journal.

In November 2019, Kentucky received a $20 million naming gift.

Lexington Herald Leader, Budget Issues at UK Law School Cause it to Fall out of Compliance with American Bar Standard:

The law school’s budget deficit, coming from major renovations to the college’s building in recent years and spending on scholarships, caused it to fall out of compliance with the finance standard, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said. ...

“Specifically, the College has been running a budget deficit related to its expenditures for scholarships and for its share of the costs for the recent building renovations and expansion,” Blanton said Wednesday. “The university has been working to help the College to ensure, in the long term, that it has a sustainable budget plan.” The law school building underwent major renovation and expansion from 2017 to 2019, adding new classrooms and collaborative spaces. The original College of Law building opened in 1965, and renovations totaled $53 million, according to Herald-Leader archives.