Law Schools

Law School Merger Fantasies

If these schools merger, we can help students at for-profit schools and enhance the strengths of some already strong and stable schools. 

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With reports that John Marshall Law School is in talks with University of Illinois to perhaps create the first public law school in the city of Chicago, I began to wonder what other mergers and acquisitions might make sense.   The goal would be to reduce the number of law schools and perhaps create some more power for law schools within certain geographic regions or with particular strengths.

Of course, the idea that some law schools need to close is uncontroversial.  Some for-profit law schools run by InfiLaw are doing their part to assure that happens.  However, more could be done to reduce the number of troubled schools, and perhaps consolidate in some cities where there are a large number of law schools.

Let me play matchmaker.  In my mind, apart from the direct hit on budgets and U.S. News Rankings, these matches just make sense:

James Rogers School of Law / Arizona Summit Law School.   James Rogers School of Law is not located in Phoenix.  Arizona Summit — along with the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law — is located in Phoenix.  With only three schools in Arizona, why wouldn’t James Rogers acquire Summit, reducing the number of in-state competitors to two, and placing it with a toehold in O’Connor’s local market?  It just makes perfect sense.  Well, unless you realize that Arizona Summit doesn’t really compete.

University of San Diego / Thomas Jefferson School of Law.  I think there are more law schools in San Diego than all of Arizona.  Why does San Diego need that many law schools?  Can we at least ship one out to the Inland Empire?  Barstow College of Law has a nice ring to it.  Or is that too close to UNLV?

University of Houston Law Center / South Texas College of Law Houston.  Well, I, for one, have to say the UHLC blew this opportunity.  STCL was begging to be acquired, even going so far as to adopt the UHLC colors.  Instead, the University of Houston sued STCL for violation of UH’s intellectual property.  They could have been one big happy faculty.  True, STCL isn’t in dire straits.  But with IP moves like that, they did seem kind of desperate.

Florida State University / Florida Coastal School of Law.  With a bit of marketing, I think Florida State could call its newly acquired school the Florida State U. beachfront campus.  After climate change destroys most of Florida, FSU would still have its main campus safely intact.  And InfiLaw could unload another one of its troubled law schools.

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The University of Alaska / Appalachian School of Law.   Why hasn’t anyone thought about just picking up and moving a law school to the Great State of Alaska?  There are no accredited law schools in the state.  Isn’t it high time?  And what more perfect candidate than Appalachian School of Law?  And isn’t oil the new coal anyway?  Let’s add a little competition to Alaska and move University of North Texas Law School to Alaska, too.  Because Texas needs more law schools like California… er, needs more law schools?

Brigham Young University / University of Utah.  I think between the two of them the class of 2021 has like 200 students tops.  As the only two law schools in Utah, I can imagine them combining and saving a lot of space.  Maybe Utah’s new building could house both faculties?  Heck, you could even throw in University of Idaho and you might get to 300 in your entering class!

UC Berkeley / UC Irvine. Dean Chemerinksy, you’re a genius!  No, not about Con Law.  I’m talking about your brilliant idea of being dean at UCI and then at Boalt!  Why not merge the two and combine the scholarly power?  Also, think of the fact that complaining to the California Bar about atrocious bar passage rates will carry even greater weight.

Harvard / Yale.  Because this way, about 99% of all law professors would have gone to the same law school.  The annual American Association of Law Schools meeting would just be one big law school reunion.  I mean, not that it isn’t that way now.

With a little cooperation, we could get through this market correction in one piece and we could absorb some of the faculty, staff, and students who have suffered at the hands of for-profit law schools.   Also, we can enhance the strengths of some already strong and stable schools.  Most importantly, we can continue to pretend that the status quo is entirely satisfactory and avoid having to change how we go about doing business.  I mean, except for allowing applicants to take the GRE.  That doesn’t require the faculty to do anything.

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LawProfBlawg is an anonymous professor at a top 100 law school. You can see more of his musings here.  He is way funnier on social media, he claims.  Please follow him on Twitter (@lawprofblawg) or Facebook. Email him at [email protected].

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