UCI bid for law school suffers another setback

UC Irvine has hit another roadblock in its effort to open a law school, and university leaders have decided to withhold the proposal temporarily following a negative review by a state advisory group.

Earlier this month, the California Postsecondary Education Commission gave UCI’s proposal a thumbs-down, saying that it fell short in a number of key areas. The commission expected to issue a formal opinion at its upcoming meeting, but UCI withdrew the plan from consideration last week.

However, the university is continuing to make its case to the UC Board of Regents, which has final authority to approve the law school. Chancellor Michael Drake plans to address the board at its meeting today.

“Our point is that a UC-quality law school in Irvine would increase accessibility for California students in an area that is one of fastest-growing and most diverse in the country,” said university spokeswoman Susan Menning. “We’d be providing an opportunity for a number of people who might not have it otherwise.”

This summer, UCI submitted a new law school proposal to the Board of Regents, after a pair of frustrated attempts in the past. The proposal calls for a school on the UCI campus to accommodate 600 students, with an emphasis on training graduates for public-sector careers.

Although the Education Commission, based in Sacramento, is strictly advisory and cannot pass or reject a proposal, UCI officials decided to revise their package and bring it back to the group at a later date. At today’s regents meeting, Drake plans to make an informational speech on the law school, which is listed on the agenda as a non-voting item.

The commission, which makes recommendations to the state on new university programs, lists seven criteria for graduate and undergraduate programs. In its report, the commission found UCI’s proposal lacking in three of them. According to the reviewers, UCI had not proven a major need for another law school in Southern California, had not consulted with other law schools in the area and had been vague about how it would cover costs.

Murray Haberman, the executive director of the commission, said he liked some parts of UCI’s proposal and looked forward to seeing a revised version of it. In particular, he praised the campus’ pledge to put more attorneys in the public sector.

“This is an ongoing conversation we’re having with the university,” Haberman said. “We’ve not closed the door on their proposal.”

Menning said campus officials hope to have the new plan ready by the commission’s December meeting.

There has never been an instance where a law school ended up winning state approval without a recommendation from the Education Commission, Haberman said.

In UCI’s case, the Board of Regents would have final approval over the proposed law school. The state legislature provides most of the funding for UC programs, but it does not allot funds to specific places.

UCI first formed a task force to start a law school in the late 1980s, then made a second proposal a decade later after the first had fallen through. If the regents give the latest package a go-ahead, UCI hopes to admit its first class in 2009.